THE NINTH CIRCLE

This sculpture is based on the Inferno, the first book in Dante’s famous trilogy. The scene takes place in the Ninth Circle (or the “Pit”) which is at the very center of Dante’s Hell, and is reserved for only the most egregious sinners; those who have committed sins of betrayal.

In the Inferno, Dante assigned punishments to the offenders which embodied their various crimes. Based on this idea, I created a story of two Florentine politicians who were enemies of Dante. They betrayed their city through lies and deception, while outwardly pretending to be its guardians. In other words, they are “two faced.” Therefore, their punishment is for their two faces to be attached in as painful a way as possible for all of eternity.