Io non voglio morire

Io non voglio morire, presented by Associazione Barriera in collaboration with Galleria Gaburro (Verona/Milan) and curated by Sergey Kantsedal, is a solo exhibition by Ruben Montini (Oristano, 1986), organised on the occasion of Colazione a Barriera 2026. The exhibition places the Italian artist’s practice in dialogue with the work of Hermann Nitsch (Vienna, 1938 – Mistelbach, 2022).

Montini presents a selection of works alongside a new performance that gives the exhibition its title. Working across performance, happenings, sculpture and textile-based works, his practice addresses identity and vulnerability, focusing on the lived experiences, struggles and forms of resistance of LGBTQIA+ communities.

The exhibition features a series of newly produced sculptures that revisit earlier performances by the artist. Linked by gestures of marking and the violence of language inscribed on the body, these works translate past actions into new material forms. Rather than simply documenting the performances, Montini reactivates their physical, symbolic and political dimensions, extending his ongoing investigation of the body. This research culminates in Io non voglio morire, a participatory performance that considers the queer body as a site of encounter, resilience and collective expression.

A monograph dedicated to Montini will be presented on the occasion of the exhibition. Published by Maretti Editore, it includes texts by Eva Brioschi, Sergey Kantsedal, Oscarito Sanchez and Eugenio Viola.