Italian artist Sergio Ragalzi dies at 73

Sergio Ragalzi, an Italian artist known for his dark, conceptual works exploring existential themes, died on July 26, 2024, at age 73. Born in Turin in 1951, he debuted in 1984 at Extemporanea, the exhibition that marked the reopening of Fabio Sargentini's Galleria L'Attico in Rome. His work, characterized by the use of black and imagery of animals, insects, and biological forms, was featured internationally from the 1990s, including at the XII Quadriennale d'Arte at Palazzo delle Esposizioni in Rome (1996), Castello di Rivara (2008), Auditorium di Roma, Berlin Biennale, and MACRO di Roma (2010). He also exhibited at numerous galleries across Italy, such as Galleria Allegretti in Turin, Galleria Delloro in Rome, Grossetti Arte Contemporanea in Milan, and Galleria Raffaella De Chirico in Turin. Gallerist Raffaella De Chirico noted that Ragalzi wore gas masks or surgical masks to his openings, presaging later global catastrophes.