Pietro Ruffo's Direct Narrative at Lorcan O'Neill Gallery

Pietro Ruffo (born Rome, 1978) presents a revolutionary exhibition at Lorcan O'Neill Gallery in Rome, marking a departure from his previous work. For the first time, he depicts real people he has met and drawn, abandoning the historical distance of earlier migration-themed pieces. The show features monumental azulejos evoking water, creating a liquid atmosphere that immerses the gallery's central space. Alongside souls seeking peace, piles of plastic bottles and Fridays for Future activists appear. Above this troubled society, silent constellations—inspired by 16th-century frescoes at Palazzo Farnese in Caprarola and 17th-century celestial globes by cosmographer Vincenzo Coronelli—watch over earthly destinies. Ruffo explains that humanity no longer trusts geographical maps, rendered unreliable by rapid political changes, and instead turns to the ancient celestial chart rooted in Greek myth and storytelling, which he considers stronger than scientific support. The exhibition functions like a horizontal film storyboard, aiming to reach a broad audience.