Matteo Mauro unveils his first true monumental sculpture: “God is Dead (Dio è Morto).” Created between 2021 and 2025, this work, carved from white carrara marble, stands as a deeply personal, philosophical, and visceral reflection on the decline of faith and the fragility of human ideals in the modern world.

Through classical references yet profoundly contemporary, God is Dead draws inspiration from two historical masterpieces: Matteo Bottiglieri’s desolate deposed Christ (1724) in the Duomo of Capua and Giuseppe Sanmartino’s Veiled Christ (1753). Matteo Mauro’s sculpture deviates significantly from these precedents in its stark representation of decay.
In contrast to traditional depictions of Christ’s serene sacrifice, Matteo Mauro’s figure is no longer enshrined in a pristine shroud but visibly corrupts and decomposes. The work strips away the notion of divine transcendence, exposing only a mortal, skeletal legacy. The symbolic dissolution of God’s image mirrors a world that has abandoned the hope of salvation, echoing Friedrich Nietzsche’s proclamation that “God is dead.”

This sculpture’s creation coincided with global crisis’s, revolving around the relentless rise of division and social hatred. Matteo Mauro himself experienced a loss of faith in humanity’s pursuit of benevolence and redemption. “God Is Dead” embodies a world in which Christ’s sacrifice no longer carries meaning. The long-promised resurrection never arrives; instead, it is replaced by the inevitability of decomposition. Rather than representing a society that has simply become secular, Matteo Mauro’s sculpture depicts a world where God is Dead stands as a powerful critique of modern existence. The piece forces viewers to confront the profound loneliness and isolation that emerges when divine intimacy disappears.

This transition into large-scale sculpture solidifies Matteo Mauro’s place as an artist unafraid to tackle the most challenging and existential themes of our time. With God is Dead, he invites viewers to not only witness the crumbling of divine imagery but to confront the deeper implications for contemporary society.