Rainman

Here’s Pluie (Rain), Jean-Michel Folon’s three-meter statue which was gifted to the city of Florence in 2002 to be displayed at the centre of the roundabout between Lungarno Aldo Moro and Via Enrico De Nicola. The Rainman’s raincoat has withstood the stress of time, but his “umbrella”, which ought to be a fountain of eternal rain, is dried up, without a drop of water. Art is thirsty, alas!, life is dry. Unfortunately, because Quarter 2’s king Midas claims to be able to turn a damp, foul-smelling catacomb into a multi-sports hub only through his supernatural power, by virtue of which he is king.