"Roma, Amor" is a collection of recent works by Maximilian Gutmair, a series that narrates an epic tale. Maximilian relocated to Rome for love, finding inspiration not only in his romantic life but also in the city's architecture, cultural heritage, and religious symbols around him.
The atmosphere in the eternal city inspires the symbolism crafted by the artist in this series. Birds are almost omnipresent and connected to male genitalia. This association stems from the Italian word “uccello,” which colloquially refers to "penis." Here, birds symbolize not only masculinity but also the male-dominated societal structures and power dynamics of patriarchy.
Eyes are another recurrent element, symbolizing the divine, and often associated with Catholicism as a representation of God. In this series, they also connect to the female genitalia, shining with beams that simultaneously evoke blessings and pain.
These elements are key to the visual language created by Gutmair to tell this paradoxical epic tale full of sin, freedom, faith, and sexuality.