Pietro Ruffo – Irhal Irhal

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Pietro Ruffo (b.1978 Rome) makes work which reflects social, moral, and political concerns. For this third exhibition at the gallery, he uses paper and cartographic maps that are cut, painted, and gold-leafed, then reassembled into complex three-dimensional images. The exhibition title Irhal Irhal, meaning “Away, Away” in Arabic, refers to the political ideals expressed by protesters during the recent uprisings in North Africa and the Middle East. The works include slogans and cries – such as Democracy, Freedom, Liberty – words taken from banners carried by protesters.

Pietro Ruffo studied architecture at the University of Rome, followed by a research fellowship at Columbia University, New York (2011). He has exhibited widely in Italy, including at the MACRO and MAXXI museums in Rome, and the museums in Pesaro and Prato. He has also shown in Berlin, Paris, Strasbourg, London, New York, and Moscow. In 2009 he was awarded the Premio Cairo; and in 2011 he won the New York Prize from the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. His artist residencies have included The International Studio and Curatorial Program, New York (2010), and the Nirox Foundation, South Africa (2012).