Seven Seasons of the Spirit. 1. The plauge 2013

Curator: Here we have Gian Maria Tosatti's "Seven Seasons of the Spirit. 1. The Plague," a 2013 photograph employing wood and photographic techniques. Editor: My first impression is one of disquiet. There’s something very stark and still about this scene, almost like a relic of a forgotten time or a play in process. Curator: From a material perspective, the artist’s choice of photography layered on wood brings together the seemingly disparate textures and temporalities of mechanical reproduction and the organic decay of the natural world. Editor: Absolutely. This resonates deeply considering Tosatti’s broader interest in representing the decline of societal structures. Note how the tarnished clock looms like a forgotten sentinel above scattered dinnerware. What does it signal about class disparities amid crisis, especially when many faced stark choices regarding sustenance? Curator: Right. These dirty dishes also offer potent commentary on consumerism and waste. Tosatti confronts us directly with the refuse of daily life, making visible that which society usually seeks to hide. Editor: Indeed, it mirrors societal neglect—those unwashed dishes, symbolic of both material decay and systemic inequalities exacerbated by plague and its societal analogues. Who had the privilege to rest, and who was left clearing the mess? This photograph then becomes a point of inquiry. Curator: Furthermore, consider how the artist utilizes wooden texture both in the printed surface and as the support, conflating the image with its material reality, forcing a new perspective. Editor: Thinking of it more broadly, this photographic staging highlights class fault lines inherent within societal collapses, mirroring disproportionate suffering. It’s not just a historical snapshot but a chilling contemporary reflection. Curator: It is certainly that intersection between artistic mediums combined with subject matter. The way Tosatti's photographic technique, layering on wooden texture as opposed to paper print, deepens our material and historical perspective. Editor: Yes, thinking of these combined visual and material choices amplifies that pervasive feeling that the image seeks to provoke: Who among us will be remembered as society collapses, and under what terms? A very sobering visual indeed!