Artworks

SHHH, ANGELS LISTENING (Carrara Marble)

Rachel Lee Hovnanian’s public installation Shhh (2023), in the center of Pietrasanta, was sculpted by the artist in nearby Carrara out of local marble. The work speaks to the universal experience of suppressed voices and hidden truths. The artist’s installation continues the ongoing exploration into the fears that lead many people to remain silent. The angel reminds us that belief in an angel and in a secret must sometimes be able to transcend that which is not tangibly provable.The angel is a universal figure, present in Zoroastrian religious texts and those of the major monotheistic faiths, including Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. A gender-fluid figure with both anthropomorphic and divine features, angels are at the service of the spiritual progress of the human being. In 2022, Rachel’s presentation at La Biennale di Venezia, Angels Listening, featured a site-specific installation including the artist’s Shhh sculptures in bronze. Curated by Annalisa Bugliani.

Shhh, Angels Listening (Carrara Marble, Medium), 2023