Stefano Canto's 'Sogno di Pietra' at Materia Gallery Transforms Ice Heads into Cement Sculptures

Stefano Canto's exhibition 'Sogno di Pietra' at Materia gallery in Rome presents sculpture as an ongoing process. The gallery space resembles a construction site, with building materials like cement bags, bricks, and wooden pallets arranged for logistical movement rather than aesthetic display. Each ten-kilogram ice head, hand-sculpted with unique faces from the artist's imagination and treated with dyes and oxides, is placed atop opened cement bags. As the ice melts, water hydrates the cement powder, solidifying it within hours while creating a facial cavity inside the bag. Canto describes the work itself as the process, staging the complete production cycle from activation to completion. The exhibition title references anthropologist Marc Augè's phrase from 'Rovine e Macerie,' critiquing contemporary society's lack of eternal stone monuments in favor of an infinite present. Originally conceived in 2017 but unrealized due to funding, the show reflects Canto's architectural training and personal background, including his parents' antique jewelry and furniture gallery. A publication designed by Fiorenza Pinna with critical text by Alessandra Troncone will accompany the exhibition, which runs until April 30.