Giovanni Ruggiero's 'GOTT IST TOT' Brings Nietzsche to Contemporary Turin

Curated by philosopher Marco Senaldi, Giovanni Ruggiero's solo exhibition 'GOTT IST TOT' at an unspecified Turin venue presents his 'Introrilievi' sculptures. Ruggiero, born in Fontanarosa in 1973 and a professor of foundry techniques at Accademia Albertina di Torino, has developed a sculptural process he calls Introrilievi, based on philosophical and esoteric foundations. The works, often cast in aluminum, explore negative space and absence, as seen in 'Undicimilanovecentosettantatre.' A key piece, 'Sotto lo stesso cielo ma destini differenti,' depicts a faceless black angel with a wheat spike near its heart, symbolizing rebirth. Ruggiero also presents trampled ceramics, such as 'Il silenzio dei passi perduti,' where he walks on the piece with military boots to break its circularity. The exhibition's title references Nietzsche's 'God is dead,' which Ruggiero reframes as a call to collective action and responsibility, involving audience participation. The show includes drawings, ceramics, installations, and performances, demonstrating Ruggiero's range beyond traditional sculpture.