Carlo Massoud's First Solo Show in Italy Blends Childlike Objects with Political Commentary

Lebanese designer Carlo Massoud (b. 1984) presents his first solo exhibition in Italy, 'Il pesce e gli astanti' (The Fish and the Bystanders), at the Oratorio della Passione in Piazza Sant'Ambrogio, Milan, during Milan Design Week 2019. The show, produced by 5VIE art+design and curated by Maria Cristina Didero, features works from 2013 onward, including a new site-specific altarpiece made in collaboration with his sister, ceramist Mary-Lynn Massoud, using ceramic and onyx flakes. Massoud's designs—such as the 'Jara, Maya, Zeina, Racha' wooden dolls that double as vases or boxes, referencing Switzerland's ban on veiling—and toy-like steel excavators from the 'Beirut 8' series, critique urban development in Beirut and Abu Dhabi. Other works address environmental issues: 'Bloody Forest' paints trees red, and 'Boule' is a brass paperweight shaped like crumpled paper, prompting reflection on waste. Massoud, who studied at the Académie des Beaux-Arts in Beirut and ECAL in Lausanne, aims to stimulate debate without taking sides, describing his objects as 'three-dimensional caricatures.' The exhibition reinterprets Christian liturgy through a contemporary, playful lens, with objects arranged as imaginary worshippers facing the altar.