January 26 - March 16, 2019

Curated b Agnes Kohlmeyer

Ryts Monet, without any doubt one of the most interesting young Italian artists, has gradually for the last ten years developed a series of important artworks. Their significance stems not only from a broad range of ideas, artistic techniques and the use of both textual and visual forms of expression, but also their poetry and engaging aesthetics even at first glance, but also from their actuality and perceived ‘urgency’. In the first room of the two-story exhibition space of the Galleria Michela Rizzo we encounter the five Migrant golden meteorite-sculptures next to the statement RIOT:, some sentences similarly written in bold golden letters on the wall, tied to the appearance and the landing of this precious metal on our planet, while at the same time touching on the exhibition’s very theme: conflict and collision of forces, restlessness, turbulence, marginalised groups and even flight. In another room one can find the artist’s newest work, wonderfully titled Taking the shadow of an obelisk and letting it dissolve into the sea, perfectly describing the artist’s process in creating such artwork, which we can admire in the form of a 7-metre long monumental piece hung down from the wall, and a video portraying the process which led to it. In the same room we find Grinder, a sculpture laid on the ground in which the topic of gold is yet again explored, but in different and unexpected ways. On the floor above, important works titled Lamassu are set, about the malicious destruction of ancient sculptures by the Islamic State and on the artist’s answer to this by interpreting and reconstructing them personally. Here we can also find the large photographs of the Blue Holes series.

More artworks complete the installation throughout the exhibition space, such as the documentary work on the Lost Children of Israel, the sculptures Sole and Palm Oil and, right at the entrance, the work We Are All Snow Under The Sun, an interesting project in the process of which the visitor might take part, by receiving as a gift a piece of the work itself. (AK)

Supported by Bildrecht - www.bildrecht.at