Michael Stipe

So be at peace with God,

however you conceive Him,

and whatever your labors and aspirations,

in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul

Max Ehrmann (Desiderata)

"I'm free" sang Michael Stipe at the end of an album by R.E.M. whose 25th anniversary was celebrated a few months ago. And if expressive freedom was never in short supply throughout the musical career of the four Athens musicians, making them one of the most atypical trajectories in the world of rock, that same freedom continues to accompany the former frontman's endeavors after the band's split. Looking back at the archetypes of the Georgian outfit, Stipe has always embodied the artistic-enigmatic figure, long fascinated by and versed in photography, art and cinema, often bringing these interests into his music. Once his run with R.E.M. was over, Stipe devoted himself with growing consistency to photography and the visual arts, to the point that the tally of his solo albums or records - aside from a few singles - still stands at zero (hopefully soon to change, if the latest updates are anything to go by), while the count of his photography books is far more substantial, recently boosted by the publication of "Even The Birds Gave Pause". Taking advantage of Italy's receptiveness towards his work - I'm thinking of when he brought "Our Interference Times: A Visual Record" to the MAXXI in Rome back in 2019 - and not content with his recent publications, Stipe opened his first solo exhibition in Milan at the end of 2023, at Fondazione ICA, titled "I Have Lost And I Have Been Lost But For Now I'm Flying High" (a title that, to me, evokes a line from "I've Been High" on "Reveal").

The exhibition, curated by Alberto Salvadori, can be visited in the Lombard capital until March 16th and was conceived specifically to fit perfectly with the venue hosting it. Stipe's works unfold on two levels. Once past the entrance of the industrial location housing the show, on the left, in a large room lit by big windows set on the left-hand side, the first piece dominates the space: hundreds of fake heads, each individually crafted by the artist, covering the floor. After this first section, stairs lead up to the second floor of the building, where the exhibition proper begins, centered, as the artist himself has stated, on the theme of vulnerability.

Here are faces, but above all names of musicians, some close to the Athens band (from Vic Chesnutt to Thom Yorke, by way of Bono), others less so, such as Madonna, engraved on vases and covers: and yet there's no discernible link to the R.E.M. universe, as one might perhaps have expected.

But going beyond a mere rundown of the works on display, which can easily be found in the catalogue, I'd like to share my own impressions. First of all, the venue pairs well with Stipe's "anti" and alternative sensibility, and although visitors are left to fend for themselves once inside, the layout, the brochure - which includes an interview and directions - make the whole experience extremely easy to navigate. Between the works enclosed in rooms and the more "free-standing" ones, the various stages alternate well. As for what Stipe presents, I believe the artist, rather than delving deeply into a single art form - photography, say - preferred to showcase them all, moving between more concrete moments, more conceptual ones, and curious in-between pieces, such as "Desiderata Hats". And here we arrive at the true protagonist of Stipe's output: the poem "Desiderata" by Max Ehrmann.

Among the many exhibitions currently on in Milan, "I Have Lost And I Have Been Lost But For Now I'm Flying High" is one well worth visiting, showing us the many - or rather, the further - artistic souls of a former rock star now fully settled into his artistic dimension.

Photo credits:

Michael Stipe / Studio

Michael Stipe. I have lost and I have been lost but for now I’m flying high, installation view, Fondazione ICA Milan, Courtesy l’artista / the artist e /and Fondazione ICA Milano, ph. credits Dario Lasagni

Michael Stipe. I have lost and I have been lost but for now I’m flying high, installation view, Fondazione ICA Milan, Courtesy l’artista / the artist e /and Fondazione ICA Milano, ph. credits Dario Lasagni

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