Matteo Mauro presents To Be Or Not To Be, a solo exhibition hosted at National Theatre Marin Sorescu during the internationally renowned Craiova International Shakespeare Festival, from 21 – 31 May 2026. Curated by NONE32X32 and presented in collaboration with ARTBEESGALLERY, the exhibition explores existential themes through two monumental marble sculptures inspired by Shakespeare’s Hamlet.

The exhibition features two artworks from Mauro, To Be Or Not To Be (2023) in black marble and To Be Or Not To Be (2024) in white Carrara marble. Both sculptures depict veiled human skulls, delicately covered by flowing marble drapery that conceals the mouth and jaw, creating a powerful visual tension between silence and expression, life and death, revelation and concealment.

The white Carrara marble sculpture embodies purity, vulnerability, and the beginning of existence. Its translucent veil appears almost ethereal, transforming the skull into a meditative symbol of human fragility and moral complexity. Mauro uses the contrast between the polished marble surface and the hidden skull to reflect on mankind’s contradictions, fears, and capacity for self destruction.

In contrast, the black marble version introduces a darker and more introspective dimension. The sculpture emphasises shadow, silence, and the solitude associated with mortality. Created during the pandemic period and subsequent global instability, the artwork reflects on themes of control, conflict, paranoia, and the uncertainty of human existence. The draped veil becomes both a concealment and a symbolic reconstruction of dignity after death.

Borrowing its title directly from Shakespeare’s most iconic existential question, To Be Or Not To Be creates a dialogue between classical theatre and contemporary sculpture. Matteo Mauro’s refined marble craftsmanship merges traditional carving techniques with conceptual and philosophical inquiry, continuing his internationally recognised exploration of symbols, inscriptions, and the human condition.

The exhibition at the National Theatre Marin Sorescu in Craiova positions Mauro’s art within one of Europe’s most important cultural festivals, bringing contemporary sculpture into conversation with Shakespearean thought, theatre, and timeless reflections on existence.