Vincenzo Fiore Marrese

Portfolio Entry

I covered the soil with a coconut fabric. It was like covering someone who needed care. Then I put a brick of humus like a pillow.

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Artwork Details

• Title:
  Land Ethic
• Year:
  2024
• Medium (Type of Art):
  environmental art
• Unique Feature:
  this artwork will naturally decompose over time
• Medium (Materials):
  coconut coir humus mix, jute fleece raised bed mat, natural environment (soil composed mainly of sand)
• Dimensions (International):
  110×200 centimeters
• Dimensions (British and US):
  43.31×78.74 inches
• Venue:
  Landschaftspark Rietzer Berg, Kloster Lehnin, Brandenburg, Germany
• Setting:
  Kunst-Eremitage’s artist residency, Landschafts- und Kunstverein Rietzer Berg

Establishing Context

I covered the soil with a coconut fabric. It was like covering someone who needed care. Then I put a brick of humus like a pillow.

The coconut fibre was meticulously interred within the sandy soil, arranged like bedding. This fibre provides a protective covering for the soil but also poses an obstacle to the growth of certain plants.

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This work is temporary, meant to be eventually absorbed and broken down by the land.

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Indeed, the soil will eventually absorb the biodegradable coconut fibre and the humus brick even more quickly.

When soaked in water, the humus brick disintegrates rapidly, enriching the soil. The brick represents a gift to the earth that I brought from Berlin to the land where I was working.

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I drew inspiration for the artwork title from ‘A Sand County Almanac,’ the famous book by Aldo Leopold, which I studied during the working period. Known for its focus on the ethics of land, it influenced my creative approach.