L'Arbres des Voyelles 

Curator: We're looking at "L'Arbres des Voyelles," a fascinating sculpture by Giuseppe Penone. It’s wood, site-specific and part of an installation. What's your immediate take? Editor: Intriguing! The upturned roots feel primal and exposed, almost as if nature is wearing its heart—or its subconscious—on its sleeve. There's a strange vulnerability about it. Curator: It’s certainly thought-provoking. Penone often plays with revealing the inner lives of trees, the hidden forms within. The title refers to Rimbaud's poem about vowels, which attributed colors and emotional qualities to them. Do you see that reflected here? Editor: Absolutely! The sprawling roots and branches, almost reaching out, create a sense of reaching for something… almost as if it is murmuring or even screaming from its core. A raw emotionality in its wooden veins. Curator: The work blends organic form with artistic intervention. Consider the paradox: uprooted yet deliberate. The gesture of re-contextualization forces one to reassess our relationship with the natural world. The roots now on display feel as precious as gemstones Editor: I completely agree. The cultural symbolism of trees is deep—roots representing ancestry, branches representing future generations, cycles of life and death and it goes far beyond merely what they seem, wouldn't you say? This upturning shakes all of that up. Makes us question the entire cycle, maybe even our own mortality. Curator: Precisely! This piece challenges our perception. Does it unsettle you to consider nature so intimately or artistically rendered? Editor: Unsettled, maybe, but also enlivened. Penone manages to distill nature down to its elemental form. It prompts questions about our role as observers and manipulators of the natural world, as stewards...or exploiters? Food for thought. Curator: Agreed. It’s a compelling and disquieting statement on the relationship between humans and the environment. It's all connected and interconnected. Editor: Definitely more than just timber. It's poetry and symbol manifested in wood and space.