Roger Federer's famous floating sculpture by Ugo Rondinone sold for 320,000 Francs 

The floating sculpture (inset) and Roger Federer
The floating sculpture (inset) and Roger Federer

Roger Federer's famous floating sculpture by Ugo Rondinone, which was displayed at the Art Basel exhibition, has been sold for 320,000 Francs.

Federer collaborated with Rondinone, a renowned Swiss-born artist and sculptor, between 2021 and 2022. The former World No. 1 was incorporated into the artist's project titled 'Human Clouds.' It portrays several human beings, including Federer, in a suspended position.

Taking to Twitter, RTS Info revealed that the statue has been sold for 320,000 Swiss francs, which comes to a little over $350,000.

"Roger Federer has lent his body and a little of his modesty, to contemporary Swiss artist Ugo Rondinone. The statue sold for just over 320,000 francs at Art Basel," they wrote.

Rondinone has been a great admirer of the 20-time Grand Slam champion. In a documentary titled "Portrait of a Champion", the artist stated that he strived to find an elegant solution to include Federer in the project.

"It came as a surprise because I don't do commission. Once I do commission, I go blank and I feel I have to fulfil something which is really not my line of thought. But we found an elegant solution," he said. "I’m a great admirer of his achievement. So, I wanted to help out and find an elegant solution by including him in something that I’m working on already."

Rondinone added that it was a conscious decision to include the 41-year-old as an anonymous figure in the project.

"I reflect and say, 'Why not just include him as an anonymous figure in this existing project. I will not promote him as a figure, I would like him just to be one of seven neutral bodies, who fly'," Rondinone continued.

"I was happy that it’s about Ugo and about the figures" - Roger Federer about the artwork

The Swiss at the 2023 F1 Miami Grand Prix
The Swiss at the 2023 F1 Miami Grand Prix

In the documentary, Roger Federer stated that he was on board with Ugo Rondinone's idea of anonymity. He wanted the art to be known for the artist and the figures, rather than for him.

"I was happy that it’s about Ugo and about the figures more than it is about ‘Roger Federer is hanging up in this church'," he said.
"What I like about the anonymous part about it is it’s in my life as well. I like it sometimes when it’s anonymous as well, people don’t know where I am, don’t know what I’m doing," he added.

The sculpture was originally exhibited at Scuola Grande San Giovanni Evangelista from April to September 2022.

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