In 1982 I had a meeting.
Leo Castelli. The man who discovered Warhol, Rauschenberg, Lichtenstein.
The Pope of Art.
I showed him Ruffo.
Circuit boards. Cybernetic bodies. Existential machines.
Leo looked at the paintings. Then at me.
He said: "Carmen, this is the future. But the world is not ready."
He was right.
The world bought pop art. Not prophecy.
But Leo gave me one gift.
He said: "Keep going. One day they will understand."
Ruffo painted "Chips are us" because he knew:
We are not using technology.
We are becoming it.
Your phone is your memory.
Your data is your personality.
Your profile is your face.
Chips are us.
And Ruffo painted us 60 years ago.
To Leo, who saw it first.
To Ruffo, who painted it first.
To you, who are living it now.
Ruffo Caselli, "Chips are Us", 1980s. Mixed media: electronic components on wood panel.
Two crosses made of recycled circuits "communicating" with each other.
Note: Ruffo never owned a computer.
From the desk of Carmen Gallo