Seven Seasons of the Spirit. 7. Land of the last heaven 2016

Gian Maria Tosatti’s installation, Land of the Last Heaven, from his Seven Seasons of the Spirit project, transforms an interior space using earth and organic forms. The way the earth is used creates a dialogue between the natural and the constructed. I’m really drawn to the way the sandy floor meets the base of the walls, as if nature is seeping into the architecture, blurring the lines between decay and growth. It reminds me of the way some painters let their process dictate the final form, allowing drips, chance and material qualities to guide the composition. The trees in the foreground, their delicate forms sharply contrasted against the rough texture of the walls, also invite a consideration of scale. Tosatti’s work reminds me a little of Robert Smithson’s earthworks, but with a twist. Smithson used heavy machinery and vast landscapes, Tosatti brings the outside in. Ultimately, art is a conversation, an ongoing dialogue with art history, personal experience, and the unpredictable nature of materials.