Ruben Montini’s 'This is all I have to offer' at Galleria Macca, Cagliari

Ruben Montini (born 1986, Oristano) presents his latest project 'This is all I have to offer' at Galleria Macca in Cagliari, closing the cycle begun with 'La vestizione della Sposa'. The exhibition highlights the lesser-known manual and performative aspects of his practice, as Montini personally crafted each work—unlike his usual reliance on skilled professionals. Visitors are greeted by four young people offering drinks, wearing knitwear adorned with the words 'splendida', 'favolosa', 'fantastica', 'stupenda', and copper crowns that invite photography, emphasizing audience participation. A centerpiece appears to be a traditional Sardinian tapestry but is actually an assemblage of brocade scraps mimicking island weaving patterns. Another fabric, seemingly embroidered with floral geometric motifs and animals like the lapwing and small horses from Byzantine sculptural tradition, reveals its reverse side as the main feature—a burst of colored threads freed from embroidery constraints. The same threads suspend the portrait's crown from the ceiling, paradoxically made of fabric scraps. The exhibition runs until May 24, 2016.