Uomini Pietra

Richi Ferrero’s work operates at the intersection of visual art, theater, and film. The showcased film, “Uomini Pietra,” was originally part of a large theater production. This performance took place on a significant square in the center of Turin, where an enormous construction site had emerged due to the construction of an underground parking garage. Ferrero utilized this construction site as the backdrop for his spectacular piece.

The subject of the film, as well as the larger production, revolves around labor, construction, and transformation as it occurs in a factory setting, as well as in the public spaces of a big city. Imaginary figures with blue skin and eagle heads, originating from an underground world, work with luminescent chunks of stone—the valuable resources that compose the city. The factory serves as a metaphor for a city where continuous efforts are made to rearrange and develop its existing building blocks.