Sergio Ragalzi's Apocalyptic Visions at Galleria De Chirico in Turin

Sergio Ragalzi (Turin, 1951) is the subject of a solo exhibition at Galleria Raffaella De Chirico in Turin. The show opens with 'atomic shadows' inspired by photographs of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by Yōsuke Yamahata and Yoshito Matsushige, depicting radiation that erases human physicality. These 'shrouds' reflect the anthropological sense of painting, drawing from the informal and material art of Burri and Fontana. 'Atomic Heads' are monolithic shells with a scream-like gash, serving as existential painting monuments. 'Liquid Monkeys,' created in 1999, originally symbolized a generation destroyed by drugs but now offer hope for evolution through awareness of human limits. Curator Raffaella De Chirico notes that Ragalzi wore gas masks or surgical masks at his openings years ago, which today seems prescient. She describes his apocalyptic vision as salvific and consolatory, a forward-looking defense mechanism.