Matteo Ciffo - Reliqua - Apollo

- Contemporary sculpture by Matteo Ciffo (Italy - 1987). Title Reliqua - Apollo
- Year 2026. Edition no. 1/40 - Signed and authenticated by the artist, with certificate of authenticity
- Material: Cold fusion of marble and stone powders
- Excellent condition



Collezione RELIQUA

Reliqua is a collection of sculptural objects that explore the relationship between matter, memory, and essence. Each piece presents itself as an eroded monolith, marked by time, that holds inside it a fragment of classicism: a face, an anatomical detail, a presence suspended between ruin and sacredness. The work is configured as a symbolic and functional container, capable of embracing what is not visible: memories, emotions, perfumes.

The collection stems from the concept of relic: objects that traverse time, bearers of meaning and memory. The monolithic form recalls the archetype of stone, primal and eternal, while the superficial erosion suggests the passage of years, the action of natural agents, and the continuous transformation of matter. The embedded classical fragment becomes a testimony, a residue of beauty that resists and resurfaces. At the boundaries between protected, hidden, and trapped

Reliqua is conceived as an object hybrid between art and design:
- container of liquid essences or perfumes
- diffuser for environments with sticks
- symbolic guardian of personal memories
- decor element with strong tactile impact
Each function is secondary to the evocative value of the object, which invites an intimate and personal relationship.

Each piece produced in 40 copies is nevertheless unique: color variations, imperfections, and marks make every Reliqua unrepeatable.






MATTEO CIFFO

Born in Biella in 1987, since 2007 I have developed research focused on matter, its transformation, and the memory it preserves. My work arises from a direct relationship with noble and complex materials such as marble and stone powders, natural pigments, Armenian earths, oxides, and metals. I do not consider them mere expressive tools, but living presences, bearers of time, history, and the possibility of rebirth.

Through a process I regard as more ritual than sculptural: a rebirth of stone guided by my hand. The practice begins with observation and the desire to restore life to what has been shattered, abandoned, or forgotten. Fragments and waste, often coming from the work of other sculptors, become the original matter for my works. They are materials that already carry a history within them. I break them down and recombine them, generating forms that no longer belong to their previous state but to a new condition. Each work emerges from a fragile balance between loss and rebirth, between memory and possibility, making visible the moment when matter ceases to be what it was and becomes something else.

The path takes the form of a transformation that surpasses traditional sculpture, approaching a nearly alchemical dimension. I use materials that have already existed, decompose them and recombine them to generate new forms and identities. Each creation arises from a tension between destruction and regeneration, between loss and memory, making visible a continuous state of change.

The research confronts materials that embody a deep contradiction: seemingly eternal and indestructible, yet at the same time sensitive and vulnerable. What seems immutable reveals an unstable nature, capable of reacting, oxidizing, and transforming over time. This condition makes matter an active participant in the work, involved in a constant dialogue with time and environment. Perfection yields to fragility, and eternity manifests as a living, human experience. Matter is not subordinate but becomes a co-author, preserving on the surface the traces of gesture, process, and its own evolution.

Self-taught, I have built my path through experimentation, observation, and listening. The approach is not aimed at control but at guiding the material in its transformation. The resulting forms reflect how memory functions: structures in which fragments, traces, and absences coexist and regenerate. This practice explores matter as a living archive. The sculptures emerge as presences suspended between ruin and rebirth, between permanence and transformation, returning to matter a deeply contemporary and human dimension.