Tusculum Ignis is a sculpture made from salvaged materials from the aftermath of a wildfire in Tuscolo (south of Rome, Italy), an ancient site that stretches back to pre-Roman times. In the summer 2024 a large fire swept through this area, where I live, transforming the landscape.
The structure of the sculpture is made from branches I gathered while walking to the burn area. At the center, the remnants of the fire collected on site — a charred stick, ashes, and a work on paper made through direct contact with the burnt ground — form a vertical sequence, each manifesting a different stage of the transformation of matter.
The work unfolds as a succession of material shifts, where different agencies act upon the elements: the growth of the tree, the fall of the branch, weather, fire, and human action. Each step, including my own, is part of the same plane of existence, where no action stands outside of this process. The vertical sequence alternates these forces: by inviting the eye to move from branch to burnt residue to marks on paper, the work questions the fixed identity of matter, suggesting that the boundaries between object and image, nature and culture, process and form are fluid and continuously redefined.
The physical presence of the materials is highlighted by the poignant scent of burnt matter, extending the presence of the landscape into the exhibition space.
