Semi-naked Roger Federer sculpture goes up for sale in excess of $360k

Renowned Swiss sculptor Ugo Rondinone produced a masterpiece on retired tennis legend Roger Federer. 

Semi-naked Roger Federer sculpture goes up for sale in excess of $360k

Roger Federer's sculpture as part of the "Human Clouds" project by veteran Swiss artist Ugo Rondinone (Image via : Credit Suisse)

A sculpture of a semi-clad Roger Federer is up for sale, and it can be yours for just $360,000. The sculpture was created by Swiss artist Ugo Rondinone. It depicts Federer in a suspended position, with his arms outstretched and his legs spread wide. The sculpture is part of Rondinone’s “Human Clouds” series, which features sculptures of six individuals in suspended poses.

For context, Ugo Rondinone was inspired by trapeze artists to create a series of flying figures. He was invited to do an art installation in the Scuola Grande San Giovanni Evangelista church in the Italian city of Venice and decided to camouflage the figures as clouds.

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Roger Federer, a long-standing art lover, agreed to take part in the project, which was kept secret until it was unveiled last year. The sculpture of Federer is based on a life-size cast of his body and is available for purchase at the Art Basel fair for around $360,000.

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The collaboration between Federer and Rondinone is a unique and unexpected one. Federer was known for his athleticism and grace, which made him a perfect fit for the project. Eva Presenhuber, the gallery owner at Art Basel, said that the price of the sculpture “Humanskysix” is “not cheap, but not overpriced either.” She described the price as “pretty good.”

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The initiative of modeling for the sculpture came from Roger Federer himself

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Roger Federer with ace sculptor Ugo Rondinone (Image via: Roger Federer Twitter)

Suspended from the ceiling with his face, hands, and feet covered in silicone and only undergarment protecting him from the elements, this must have certainly been a challenge for the great man. It might thus come as a surprise that Roger Federer, a long-standing art lover himself, agreed to take part in this secret, ambitious art installation. Away from his comfort zone of the tennis courts and with a chance to dive deeper into the artist’s mind, this was an opportunity Federer could not pass up. 

The 20-time Grand Slam champion is personally acquainted with Ugo Rondinone. He has already visited the artist in his New York studio and acquired some of his works for his own collection. The Swiss duo began working on the human clouds project in 2020. The sculptures were finally unveiled at Art Basel in 2022, after two years of collaboration.

As per some reports making rounds on the internet, the art piece was already reserved by an art collector but Art Basel gallery owner Eva Presenhuber was circumspect in her remarks. The iconic collaboration between Federer and Rondinone is a testament to the power of art to bring people together. It is also a reminder that art can be found in unexpected places. In this case, it is found in the body of a world-renowned athlete.

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