Cyclopean skulls to be filed and dogs to be retouched The setup of Ron Mueck's exhibition at the Triennale

EDITED BY VALENTINA TOSONI

He checks the positions, files the defects, refines the color, and everything must be arranged with absolute precision. It is this meticulous attention to detail, which Ron Mueck does not give up until a few hours before the inauguration, which is surprising in the shots taken during the preparation of the exhibition (directed by Gautier Deblonde) dedicated to the well-known Australian artist, hosted at the Triennale in Milan, until March 10th. His first solo show in Italy, created in collaboration with the Fondation Cartier, features six sculptural groups, including 2017's Mass, a cyclopean-sized cluster of skulls, 2023's En Garde, a group of three-meter-tall menacing black dogs, and Baby from 2000, a newborn of a few centimeters made of wax, hanging in a sort of crucifixion on the wall: sculptures, which vary from minute to monumental dimensions, and reflect an interior world with a disturbing power. Furthermore, two films and a novelty are visible: the sketch of a work This Little Piggy, which anticipates a different language. Mueck began his career as a set designer in the world of cinema, the transition to sculpture took place in 1996 and since then his surprising realism creates a feeling of empathy that unites us humans in dangers and difficulties, and invites us to reflect about the challenges that life presents us with.