Alessio Deli's Anthropocene: Sculpting the Human Era at MACS Catania

The MACS museum in Catania presents 'Anthropocene', a solo exhibition of sculptor Alessio Deli (born 1981 in Marino), featuring works from 2010 to 2019. The show centers on the eponymous sculpture 'Anthropocene'—a young woman in travertine and resin with a toxic waste mask, referencing humanity's negative impact on the planet. Deli notes the mask predates COVID-19 but sees viral outbreaks as consequences of the Anthropocene. The exhibition also includes 'Summer Awakening', made from rusted sheet metal found on roadsides, which Deli describes as an 'expectation of summer'. Five other female figures surround 'Anthropocene' in an exedra layout, with dramatic lighting. Deli, who studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Carrara, cites influences from 15th- and 16th-century Tuscan sculpture, particularly Donatello, Michelangelo, and Della Robbia. He now focuses on historical memory, having transitioned from recycled materials to memory recovery, as seen in his 2018 show 'Incipit Memoria' at Palazzo Valentini. Deli lives in Rome and says his works predominantly feature female subjects, viewing sculpture as inherently feminine. The exhibition was curated by the museum team, following Deli's project closely.