The 12th edition of the Rome International Art Fair took place from December 6 to 19, 2024, at ITSLIQUID Art Space, located in the heart of the Italian capital. Organized by the ITSLIQUID Group, the fair has become a significant event in Europe’s contemporary art calendar, renowned for uniting a diverse international cohort of artists working across photography, painting, sculpture, installation, video, and performance.

This year’s exhibition revolved around two central curatorial themes: Mixing Identities and Future Landscapes. Both segments prompted critical reflection on how bodies, spaces, and identities are continuously reshaped by cultural, social, and environmental forces. With a strong presence of curators, collectors, and art professionals, the fair once again affirmed its status as a dynamic platform for artistic exchange and discovery.

Among the many works on view, one that captured particular attention in the Mixing Identities section was Bound, a fiber-based sculptural installation created by Chicago-based artist Yicong Li. Represented by Agaphe Gallery (Barcelona), Li’s piece distinguished itself not through scale, but through its quiet intensity and tactile intricacy. Visitors often paused in front of the work, engaging in hushed conversations about its craftsmanship, symbolic resonance, and relationship to the human body. One attendee remarked that the piece “feels like a dormant language waiting to be heard.”

Subtle yet powerful, Bound deeply resonated with the exhibition’s central inquiry into identity as a layered and evolving concept. Its woven surfaces and organic structure evoked a sense of physical intimacy that bridged the personal and the universal. Though understated in form, the piece’s material language—soft, weighty, and intricately textured—elicited profound emotional responses across a culturally diverse audience.

Many viewers described a dual sensation of familiarity and estrangement when encountering Bound—as if the work extended outward from the body while simultaneously offering protection. For some, its conjured memories of ritual, introspection, or shelter; for others, it created a contemplative space for reimagining what identity might feel like beyond rigid social constructs.

Works like Bound highlight the growing significance of fiber-based and interdisciplinary practices within today’s art landscape. Distinct in its approach yet part of a greater curatorial dialogue, the piece reflects the depth and vision of this year’s Rome International Art Fair. As the fair continues to foster meaningful cross-cultural and cross-disciplinary conversations, it reaffirms its role as a vital meeting ground for global contemporary artistic expression.