Sergio Sarra's Transparent Retrospective at Mattatoio

Sergio Sarra (born 1961 in Pescara) presents a solo exhibition at Mattatoio in Rome titled 'Escluse le cose che ho scelto di fare' (Excluding the things I chose to do). Curated by Laura Cherubini, who has followed his work since his 1990 debut at Galleria Alice (directed by Domenico Nardone), the show reconstructs his evolution from drawing to essential painting, oscillating between abstraction and figuration. The exhibition features three light-wood tables built by the artist, covered with plastic sheets pinned with small mountain-profile sketches, reminiscent of Fred Sandback's works. Paintings of varying sizes depict portraits, natural landscapes (especially icebergs), and domestic interiors, using dark lines and delicate colors that evoke Philip Guston, Arshile Gorky, and Ettore Spalletti's monochromes. Cherubini's catalog essay (published by Edizioni di Comunità) references Surrealism and the primacy of drawing. Notable small-scale works include 'Interno con tavolo e finestra (studio n.1)' (2013), 'Face' (2018), and 'Portrait of Bob and Roberta Smith' (2019). The exhibition ends with four horizontal glass pieces featuring animal images ('Due ipnologie', 2013), returning to Sarra's early work. The show runs at Mattatoio, Rome.