Elena Bellantoni's 'Ruinate' at MAXXI: Fragile Armors of Resistance
Elena Bellantoni's installation 'Ruinate' (2026) at MAXXI features twelve life-sized fabric sculptures based on her own body, including clay casts of her face and hands. The work transforms the derogatory term 'ruinata' into a symbol of resistance, depicting women who have defied obedience and turned their bodies into political boundaries. The sculptures are arranged in a circle, allowing viewers to enter and be observed by the works. They are described as fragile armors—paradoxical protections made of cloth that expose rather than shield. The mantles bear phrases that act as poetic declarations and tools of insubordination. Bellantoni blends tragicomic elements, referencing folk traditions and punk aesthetics, to create a hybrid army of 'spoilsports.' The installation addresses themes of disobedience, fragility as strength, language as weapon, and the body as archive, with particular resonance for the Calabrian region and the Italian South. The work is part of ArtsLife's 'Un’opera a settimana' series, where artists discuss a single piece.
Key facts
- Elena Bellantoni created 'Ruinate' (2026), an installation of twelve fabric sculptures.
- The sculptures are life-sized, based on Bellantoni's own body measurements.
- Clay casts of her face and hands are incorporated into each figure.
- The title 'Ruinate' reclaims the derogatory term 'ruinata' as a symbol of resistance.
- The installation is displayed at MAXXI in Rome.
- The twelve figures are arranged in a circle; viewers can enter the center.
- The sculptures are described as fragile armors that expose rather than protect.
- Mantles on the figures bear phrases acting as poetic declarations.
- The work blends folk and punk aesthetics, described as tragicomic.
- Bellantoni is an Italian artist; the work references the Calabrian region and the Italian South.
Entities
Artists
Institutions
- MAXXI
- ArtsLife
Locations
- Rome
- Italy
- Calabria
Sources
- Artslife —