[Art&Design]

RUBY'S MATERIAL WORKS MEET LE CORBUSIER'S VISION

Sterling Ruby's bronze sculpture and spray painting respond to Le Corbusier's brutalist architecture at Marseille's UNESCO site through September 28.

image of American artist Sterling Ruby presents two large-scale works at MaMo by Ora Ïto in Marseille, France. The exhibition features a seven-meter bronze sculpture with green-blue patina and a seven-meter spray painting with layered color bands. Both works are displayed atop Le Corbusier's La Cité Radieuse, a UNESCO World Heritage brutalist housing complex, creating dialogue between contemporary art and historic architecture. The exhibition explores material transformation and human relationships with built environments, running through September 28, 2024.
Courtesy Of MaMo by Ora Ïto
image of American artist Sterling Ruby presents two large-scale works at MaMo by Ora Ïto in Marseille, France. The exhibition features a seven-meter bronze sculpture with green-blue patina and a seven-meter spray painting with layered color bands. Both works are displayed atop Le Corbusier's La Cité Radieuse, a UNESCO World Heritage brutalist housing complex, creating dialogue between contemporary art and historic architecture. The exhibition explores material transformation and human relationships with built environments, running through September 28, 2024.
Courtesy Of MaMo by Ora Ïto
image of American artist Sterling Ruby presents two large-scale works at MaMo by Ora Ïto in Marseille, France. The exhibition features a seven-meter bronze sculpture with green-blue patina and a seven-meter spray painting with layered color bands. Both works are displayed atop Le Corbusier's La Cité Radieuse, a UNESCO World Heritage brutalist housing complex, creating dialogue between contemporary art and historic architecture. The exhibition explores material transformation and human relationships with built environments, running through September 28, 2024.
Courtesy Of MaMo by Ora Ïto
image of American artist Sterling Ruby presents two large-scale works at MaMo by Ora Ïto in Marseille, France. The exhibition features a seven-meter bronze sculpture with green-blue patina and a seven-meter spray painting with layered color bands. Both works are displayed atop Le Corbusier's La Cité Radieuse, a UNESCO World Heritage brutalist housing complex, creating dialogue between contemporary art and historic architecture. The exhibition explores material transformation and human relationships with built environments, running through September 28, 2024.
Courtesy Of MaMo by Ora Ïto
image of American artist Sterling Ruby presents two large-scale works at MaMo by Ora Ïto in Marseille, France. The exhibition features a seven-meter bronze sculpture with green-blue patina and a seven-meter spray painting with layered color bands. Both works are displayed atop Le Corbusier's La Cité Radieuse, a UNESCO World Heritage brutalist housing complex, creating dialogue between contemporary art and historic architecture. The exhibition explores material transformation and human relationships with built environments, running through September 28, 2024.
Courtesy Of MaMo by Ora Ïto

Summary

  • Sterling Ruby presents two large-scale works exploring material transformation at Marseille's UNESCO-listed housing complex
  • The exhibition runs through September 28 at MaMo by Ora Ïto, positioned atop Le Corbusier's La Cité Radieuse
  • Ruby's bronze sculpture and spray painting create visual conversation with the brutalist architecture's color theory

The brutalist housing complex known as La Cité Radieuse dominates Marseille's skyline with its 337 residential units marked by primary colors across the concrete facade. Le Corbusier's 20th-century structure, now recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site, draws mixed reactions from locals who sometimes call it the "house of madness" despite its status as an architectural landmark.

MaMo by Ora Ïto operates as a contemporary art center from the building's rooftop, hosting international artists in dialogue with the historic structure below. The current exhibition features Sterling Ruby, the American artist whose material-focused practice examines relationships between humans and constructed environments.

Ruby has positioned two major works within the space. 'DOUBLE CANDLE' from 2018 consists of two bronze forms reaching seven meters in height, their green-blue patina showing oxidation patterns similar to weathered copper surfaces like the Statue of Liberty's exterior. The second piece, 'WALL' from 2017, spans over seven meters as Ruby's largest spray painting to date. Layered bands, lines, and color drips create diffused patterns across the work's surface.

The installation engages with Marseille's identity as a Mediterranean port city marked by constant movement and cultural exchange. Ruby's approach to material transformation responds to Le Corbusier's original color choices, which were designed to evoke emotional responses in residents and visitors.

While Le Corbusier used color as both spatial and emotional tool within his architectural framework, Ruby's works present a different material vocabulary. The bronze sculpture's patina process and the spray painting's layered application methods address how materials change over time and through human interaction.

The exhibition continues through September 28. MaMo by Ora Ïto is located at Centre d'art de la Cité Radieuse, 280 Boulevard Michelet, 13008 Marseille 8ème, France. Additional information is available through the center's website.

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Andrea Darren

Andrea Darren

Born in Manchester, from a young age, she was passionate about art and design. She studied at the University of the Arts in London, where she developed her skills in these fields. Today, Andrea works as an editor for a renowned publishing house, combining her love for art and design with her editorial expertise.