Valerio Berruti

AUGUST 7 Tin Building

Daydream Air becomes art

The Carousel a new monumental work

The Carousel is a new monumental work by Valerio Berruti: a large-scale evolution of La giostra di Nina, previously exhibited at institutions including MAXXI in Rome and Palazzo Reale in Milan. The installation transforms the universal image of the carousel into a poetic reflection on childhood, time, and the desire for freedom. Crafted in fiberglass through traditional artisanal techniques, it features the flight of 18 small sparrows — light, everyday figures that become metaphors for fragility, growth, and the possibility of "taking flight." Its circular, repetitive, almost hypnotic motion evokes childhood while suggesting the cycle of life, balancing melancholy and hope — a tension that defines Berruti's artistic practice. A video animation of a flock of birds designed by the artist surrounds the installation.

Bio

Valerio Berruti (Alba, 1977) holds a degree in Art Criticism from the D.A.M.S. program at the University of Turin. He lives and works in Alba, in the Langhe region. In 2004 he won the Premio Celeste and the Premio Pagine Bianche d'Autore, and in 2005 was selected for the ISCP in New York.

Berruti exhibited worldwide: Herzliya Museum (Israel), 48th October Salon (Belgrade), Centre Pompidou (Paris), Keumsan Gallery (Seoul), Nirox Foundation (Johannesburg), Drawing Center (New York), MAC (São Paulo), Teagan Space (Youyi Bay, China) and Pola Museum (Tokyo). In Italy, he showed at Fondazione Stelline (Milan), Galleria Civica (Modena), MAXXI (Roma), Castello di Rivoli (Rivoli, Torino) and produced major public works. In 2020 he launched L'abbraccio più forte, raising €250,000 for the healthcare emergency.

In 2022, he created "Alba", a sculpture over 12 meters tall, which the Ferrero family donated to their city. In 2025, his solo exhibition, "More than kids," was first shown at the Ferrero Foundation and later, featuring larger works, in the prestigious halls of Palazzo Reale in Milan. On that occasion, Berruti exhibited the iconic "La giostra di Nina" alongside new works such as the large-scale participatory work "Don't let me be wrong", created with music by Daddy G, long-time vocalist of Massive Attack, and Stew Jackson.

In the summer of 2025, Berruti also unveiled "Non basta il canto delle sirene" (The Sirens' Song Is Not Enough), a six-metre-tall bronze sculpture of a child siren installed permanently on the port of Cervia-Milano Marittima, a well-known Italian seaside resort. Surrounded by the sea, the sculpture lights up at dusk as if emerging from the water.