UnWorlding
2 channel video installation (full HD, color, stereo sound) 15:28 min,
salt, recycled wooden loogs, tree branches
Saliera, a late Renaissance masterpiece by Benvenuto Cellini, is an allegory of the world. It depicts the sea (Neptune) and the earth (Tellus), as well as the seasons, times of day, and the four winds. Originally commissioned by King Francis I of France before becoming a prized possession of the Habsburgs, it was stolen from the Kunsthistorisches Museum in 2003 and hidden in a forest near Vienna.
Drawing inspiration from a myth about the origin of the world, which tells of Auoumbla, the primordial cow, creating humanity by licking away salt blocks from the primordial void and molding them with her warm tongue until the shape of the first human body emerged, we sculpted a replica of Cellini's Saliera and placed it in the forest as a salt lick, allowing forest creatures to contribute to its alteration through their encounters with it until the work slowly vanishes.
Through the lens of forest inhabitants such as deer and chamois, and shaped by weather conditions, our work emphasizes the interconnectedness of humans and the environment, showcasing our profound influence on and connection with the non-human world.
The work delves into the intricate relationship between the over-exploitation of forests and salt mining in the Salzkammergut region of the Styrian Alps, where historically, salt resources were highly prized, often referred to as 'white gold'.
This project was commissioned by KunstHausWien for the Klima Biennale 2024 and realized in collaboration with the Austrian Federal Forests.
photocredits Thomas Kranabitl/ Österreichische Bundesforste annd Joanna Pianka / eSel
2 channel video installation (full HD, color, stereo sound) 15:28 min,
salt, recycled wooden loogs, tree branches
Saliera, a late Renaissance masterpiece by Benvenuto Cellini, is an allegory of the world. It depicts the sea (Neptune) and the earth (Tellus), as well as the seasons, times of day, and the four winds. Originally commissioned by King Francis I of France before becoming a prized possession of the Habsburgs, it was stolen from the Kunsthistorisches Museum in 2003 and hidden in a forest near Vienna.
Drawing inspiration from a myth about the origin of the world, which tells of Auoumbla, the primordial cow, creating humanity by licking away salt blocks from the primordial void and molding them with her warm tongue until the shape of the first human body emerged, we sculpted a replica of Cellini's Saliera and placed it in the forest as a salt lick, allowing forest creatures to contribute to its alteration through their encounters with it until the work slowly vanishes.
Through the lens of forest inhabitants such as deer and chamois, and shaped by weather conditions, our work emphasizes the interconnectedness of humans and the environment, showcasing our profound influence on and connection with the non-human world.
The work delves into the intricate relationship between the over-exploitation of forests and salt mining in the Salzkammergut region of the Styrian Alps, where historically, salt resources were highly prized, often referred to as 'white gold'.
This project was commissioned by KunstHausWien for the Klima Biennale 2024 and realized in collaboration with the Austrian Federal Forests.
photocredits Thomas Kranabitl/ Österreichische Bundesforste annd Joanna Pianka / eSel