Mama's Rucksack

Sculpted out of original Carrara marble, Ruben Maria starkly contrasts material and object in “Mama’s Rucksack”: While the material is a staple in sculpture, the depicted object is rather mundane and ordinary. The work allows for an ironic interpretation of a sculptor’s profession, while also playing with an associated familiar disposition. The material communicates that this rucksack is not a volatile, movable inheritance, yet, according to Bourdieu, a thing that is ‘written in stone’. The artist understands how his rucksack is filled with privilege, yet also with opportunities and a call to action.