Sterling Ruby exhibition transforms Le Corbusier’s Cité Radieuse

The Sterling Ruby exhibition currently on view at MaMo by Ora Ïto, an independent art center located on the rooftop of the Cité Radieuse in Marseille, is one of the year’s most impactful artistic interventions. Running through September 28th, 2025, this rooftop presentation—curated by MaMo in collaboration with Gagosian and made possible through the generous support of Zara Home—places Sterling Ruby’s monumental works in direct dialogue with Le Corbusier’s iconic Brutalist architecture.

At the center of the Sterling Ruby exhibition are two standout pieces: DOUBLE CANDLE (2018) and WALL (2017). The twin bronze sculptures of DOUBLE CANDLE rise over seven meters high, evoking melting candles, towers, or quiet sentinels. Originally shaped in fleece before casting, the forms preserve tactile folds and seams—an emblem of material transformation that links the soft and ephemeral to the permanent and monumental.

WALL, the largest canvas in Ruby’s SP (Spray Painting) series, stretches over seven meters wide. Built through layers of spray-painted color, it evokes blurred cityscapes, industrial haze, and landscapes in flux. As with much of Sterling Ruby’s work, it’s a meditation on collapse and regeneration, and a compelling example of material transformation used to convey social and ecological themes.

More than just a backdrop, the rooftop of Cité Radieuse—with its sculptural forms and vivid colors—becomes an integral part of the experience. The interplay between architecture and art deepens the visual and conceptual dialogue, reinforcing the exhibition’s immersive power.

Through this Sterling Ruby exhibition at MaMo by Ora Ïto, viewers are invited into a space where structure meets symbolism and material transformation becomes a metaphor for both personal and collective memory. It’s a striking moment in the career of Sterling Ruby, one that redefines how contemporary art can activate historical space.

Dive into our conversation with Sterling Ruby, where he reflects on the shifting nature of artistic intention, the legacy of form, and the beauty of ambiguity.