Sterling Ruby
Sterling Ruby

Ruby has been described by critic Roberta Smith, in The New York Times, as “one of the most interesting artists of this century” —underscoring the breadth and urgency of his practice. For Ruby —an artist based in Los Angeles whose work has long explored material transformation, social structures, and the built environment —this exhibition presents a rare opportunity to engage deeply with the cultural and symbolic heritage of La Cité Radieuse, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Installed on the rooftop of Le Corbusier’s brutalist «vertical city,» DOUBLE CANDLE consists of two bronze forms each over seven meters tall. Originally conceived as soft sculptures made from Polyfleece, the bronze candles retain visible seams and folds from the fabric. The sculpture shares its green-blue patina with oxidized monuments such as the Statue of Liberty, giving the work a serene gravity. Ruby has described the dual forms candles, towers, or sentinels in terms of domestic ritual and collective memory, subtly referencing the Twin Towers of New York and their legacy of loss and resilience. An earlier edition is part of the permanent collection at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington, DC. In Marseille, the presentation of this significant sculpture alters its perception by juxtaposing bronze casts made from stuffed textiles with the raw concrete of the brutalist structure. Its undulating form echoes the unique sculptural chimneys of the building, reorienting the symbolism of the beacon toward the city.

Also on view at MaMo by Ora Ïto is WALL (2017), the largest painting from Ruby’s SP (Spray Painting ) series. Spanning over seven meters wide, the canvas comprises layered bands, lines, and drips of diffused colors. The recurring use of the horizon line a formal device that anchors the viewer while the hazy geometries of the composition simultaneously disorient evokes fences, atmospheric landscapes, or smoggy urban walls. Echoing the tradition of landscape painting, Ruby confronts viewers with a contemporary world in flux, reflecting the lineage of artists who turned to the south of France in the late 19th century such as Paul Cézanne, Vincent van Gogh, and Paul Signac drawn by its unique light and expansive panoramas.