Untitled (2012)
Electroformed copper, plated nickel and gold
60 × 60 × 3.8 cm
Untitled, from 2012, is a striking example of Rudolf Stingel’s conceptual investigation into authorship, surface, and temporality. Crafted from electroformed copper and finished in nickel and gold, the work displays a richly textured, graffiti-like surface filled with scratches, marks, and inscriptions. These traces suggest an accumulation of gestures—anonymous, layered, and collaborative—transforming the refined metallic surface into a palimpsest of human presence and time.
This piece belongs to a body of work in which Stingel redefines the notion of painting by integrating industrial processes and inviting entropy and intervention. The contrast between the luxurious finish and the raw, expressive markings reflects the artist’s continuous tension between control and chance, permanence and impermanence.
Rudolf Stingel (b. 1956) is an Italian contemporary artist celebrated for his radical redefinition of painting and its conventions. His multidisciplinary practice incorporates painting, sculpture, and installation, often featuring unconventional materials such as carpet, insulation panels, and metal. Stingel challenges ideas of authorship by embracing chance, process, and viewer participation—turning pristine surfaces into communal spaces of expression. He has exhibited extensively in major institutions worldwide, including the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, Palazzo Grassi in Venice, and the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York.
