William Kentridge Makes Giant Mural on Rome’s Tiber River

2012 site tests for the site-specific work by William Kentridge and Philip Miller Photo: Tevereterno

William Kentridge‘s latest project will transform the banks of Rome’s river Tiber into a crazy-long work of art. Drawings for his 550 meter (over 1,800 feet) mural, Triumphs and Lements, were presented at the Maxxi Museum earlier this week along with a preview of the opening celebrations next spring: live music composed by Philip Miller and videos projected onto the facade of the museum.

The frieze will include more than 90 figures, each up to 9 meters tall, narrating the city’s 2,000 year history in a silhouetted succession that will span from Ponte Sisto to Ponte Mazzini on Piazza Tevere. The images will be formed by erasing the accumulated dirt from the embankment walls and will subsequently become gradually obscured once again by the renewed build-up of grime. Throughout the duration of the piece, from 2015 to 2016, there will also be multi-disciplinary public performances using the frieze as a backdrop.

Tevereterno, a non-profit organization seeking to protect and revitalize the urban waterfront of the Tiber River, has partnered with William Kentridge to develop the site-specific work in an effort to forge a stronger link between the city and its river.


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