Vincenzo Fiore Marrese

Artwork Slash-and-Burn Shadows

Portfolio Entry

Inspired by ecological disturbance, this work delves into the instability of rules governing both nature and society.

A wall with white tiles and a gray concrete beam above. Three vertical strings of twine hang down, one with a bundle of twigs attached. A long, dark object hangs down on the right. — “Slash-and-Burn Shadows,” detail; StadtWERKSTATT Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, Berlin, Germany; Terraformation: Bridging worlds, curated by Mayer Pavilion; photo by V.F. Marrese; ©VFMarrese. Click to download HD Image (for press use only). Please credit V.F. Marrese. Contact us for other use or licensing.

Artwork Details

Title:

Slash-and-Burn Shadows
Year:

2024
Medium (Type of Art):

installation art
Medium (Materials):

chunky yarn, found object (fire extinguisher), natural raffia, double sided tape
Dimensions (International):

68×77×31 centimeters
Dimensions (British and US):

250.79×140.16×109.84 inches
Venue:

StadtWERKSTATT Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, Berlin, Germany
Setting:

Terraformation: Bridging worlds, curated by Mayer Pavilion

Contextual Relationship

For the complete context, please refer to “Slash-and-Burn Environment.” This work, titled “Slash-and-Burn Shadows,” follows “Slash-and-Burn Environment.”

Establishing Context

Inspired by ecological disturbance, this work delves into the instability of rules governing both nature and society.

During the “Terraformation art residency” in Sicily, I was working on a piece in a dry hill area surrounded by fields.

One day, as I approached the hill, I saw it and the fields in flames. The locals were not alarmed, explaining it was a common practice to clear old plants and encourage new growth, essential for shepherds to maintain their livelihoods. The artwork I created on the hill was almost entirely burned, except for some raffia details that survived, symbolizing the rules underlying instability.

In summary, this is the context for “Slash-and-Burn Environment,” with “Slash-and-Burn Shadows” following as a related work.

“Slash-and-Burn Shadows” is made of black wool, raffia, and printed photographs.

A large industrial hall with white tiled walls and a red fire extinguisher. A circular arrangement of chunky yarn lies on the red tiled floor. — “Slash-and-Burn Shadows,” StadtWERKSTATT Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, Berlin, Germany; Terraformation: Bridging worlds, curated by Mayer Pavilion; photo by V.F. Marrese; ©VFMarrese. Click to download HD Image (for press use only). Please credit V.F. Marrese. Contact us for other use or licensing.

A close-up of a tangled mass of raffia and black yarn. — “Slash-and-Burn Shadows,” detail; StadtWERKSTATT Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, Berlin, Germany; Terraformation: Bridging worlds, curated by Mayer Pavilion; photo by V.F. Marrese; ©VFMarrese. Click to download HD Image (for press use only). Please credit V.F. Marrese. Contact us for other use or licensing.

A close-up of raffia and black yarn scattered on a red tiled floor. — “Slash-and-Burn Shadows,” detail; StadtWERKSTATT Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, Berlin, Germany; Terraformation: Bridging worlds, curated by Mayer Pavilion; photo by V.F. Marrese; ©VFMarrese. Click to download HD Image (for press use only). Please credit V.F. Marrese. Contact us for other use or licensing.

The black wool references the slash-and-burn practice and its ties to shepherds, while the raffia forms a network around the wool, symbolizing connections among people.

A large industrial space with white walls, a concrete floor, and a metal roof. A long, dark object resembling chunky yarn lies in a curved shape on the floor. — “Slash-and-Burn Shadows,” StadtWERKSTATT Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, Berlin, Germany; Terraformation: Bridging worlds, curated by Mayer Pavilion; photo by V.F. Marrese; ©VFMarrese. Click to download HD Image (for press use only). Please credit V.F. Marrese. Contact us for other use or licensing.

A close-up of raffia and black yarn tangled together, resembling a messy nest, on a red tiled floor. — “Slash-and-Burn Shadows,” detail; StadtWERKSTATT Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, Berlin, Germany; Terraformation: Bridging worlds, curated by Mayer Pavilion; photo by V.F. Marrese; ©VFMarrese. Click to download HD Image (for press use only). Please credit V.F. Marrese. Contact us for other use or licensing.

A close-up of raffia and black yarn intertwined, resembling a tangled nest, on a red tiled floor. — “Slash-and-Burn Shadows,” detail; StadtWERKSTATT Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, Berlin, Germany; Terraformation: Bridging worlds, curated by Mayer Pavilion; photo by V.F. Marrese; ©VFMarrese. Click to download HD Image (for press use only). Please credit V.F. Marrese. Contact us for other use or licensing.

A close-up of a thick black cord wrapped with raffia, lying on a red tiled floor. — “Slash-and-Burn Shadows,” detail; StadtWERKSTATT Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, Berlin, Germany; Terraformation: Bridging worlds, curated by Mayer Pavilion; photo by V.F. Marrese; ©VFMarrese. Click to download HD Image (for press use only). Please credit V.F. Marrese. Contact us for other use or licensing.

The photographs on the floor are fragments of a single image I took after the burning, representing how memory blends dreams and reality.

A collection of small, rectangular photographs scattered across a red tiled floor. The photos depict various natural scenes, including plants, soil, and rocks. — “Slash-and-Burn Shadows,” detail; StadtWERKSTATT Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, Berlin, Germany; Terraformation: Bridging worlds, curated by Mayer Pavilion; photo by V.F. Marrese; ©VFMarrese. Click to download HD Image (for press use only). Please credit V.F. Marrese. Contact us for other use or licensing.

A collection of small, rectangular photographs depicting natural scenes, scattered across a red tiled floor. The photos appear to be taken from a low angle, capturing details of plants, soil, and rocks. — “Slash-and-Burn Shadows,” detail; StadtWERKSTATT Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, Berlin, Germany; Terraformation: Bridging worlds, curated by Mayer Pavilion; photo by V.F. Marrese; ©VFMarrese. Click to download HD Image (for press use only). Please credit V.F. Marrese. Contact us for other use or licensing.

The work expands on both the wall and the floor, incorporating subtle details from the environment, a principle central to my “Subtle Habitat” series.

A close-up of a small, circular hole in a white tiled wall. The hole is surrounded by a metal ring. — “Slash-and-Burn Shadows,” subtle detail from the environment; StadtWERKSTATT Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, Berlin, Germany; Terraformation: Bridging worlds, curated by Mayer Pavilion; photo by V.F. Marrese; ©VFMarrese. Click to download HD Image (for press use only). Please credit V.F. Marrese. Contact us for other use or licensing.

A close-up of a large, rectangular hole in a white tiled wall. The hole has jagged edges and contains broken pieces of tile. — “Slash-and-Burn Shadows,” subtle detail from the environment; StadtWERKSTATT Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, Berlin, Germany; Terraformation: Bridging worlds, curated by Mayer Pavilion; photo by V.F. Marrese; ©VFMarrese. Click to download HD Image (for press use only). Please credit V.F. Marrese. Contact us for other use or licensing.

A close-up of a white wall with two marks on it. One mark is a circular bullet hole with a surrounding ring, and the other is a green cross. — “Slash-and-Burn Shadows,” subtle detail from the environment; StadtWERKSTATT Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, Berlin, Germany; Terraformation: Bridging worlds, curated by Mayer Pavilion; photo by V.F. Marrese; ©VFMarrese. Click to download HD Image (for press use only). Please credit V.F. Marrese. Contact us for other use or licensing.

A bundle of brown raffia hanging from a circular hole in a white tiled wall. The hole is surrounded by a metal ring. — “Slash-and-Burn Shadows,” detail; StadtWERKSTATT Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, Berlin, Germany; Terraformation: Bridging worlds, curated by Mayer Pavilion; photo by V.F. Marrese; ©VFMarrese. Click to download HD Image (for press use only). Please credit V.F. Marrese. Contact us for other use or licensing.

A bundle of brown raffia hanging from a black object mounted on a white tiled wall. A red fire extinguisher is visible in the background. — “Slash-and-Burn Shadows,” detail; StadtWERKSTATT Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, Berlin, Germany; Terraformation: Bridging worlds, curated by Mayer Pavilion; photo by V.F. Marrese; ©VFMarrese. Click to download HD Image (for press use only). Please credit V.F. Marrese. Contact us for other use or licensing.

A close-up of a bundle of brown raffia and black yarn hanging from a wall. — “Slash-and-Burn Shadows,” detail; StadtWERKSTATT Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, Berlin, Germany; Terraformation: Bridging worlds, curated by Mayer Pavilion; photo by V.F. Marrese; ©VFMarrese. Click to download HD Image (for press use only). Please credit V.F. Marrese. Contact us for other use or licensing.

A bundle of brown raffia hanging from a black object mounted on a white tiled wall. — “Slash-and-Burn Shadows,” detail; StadtWERKSTATT Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, Berlin, Germany; Terraformation: Bridging worlds, curated by Mayer Pavilion; photo by V.F. Marrese; ©VFMarrese. Click to download HD Image (for press use only). Please credit V.F. Marrese. Contact us for other use or licensing.

A bundle of brown raffia hanging from a black object mounted on a white tiled wall. A fire extinguisher and a light fixture are visible in the background. — “Slash-and-Burn Shadows,” detail; StadtWERKSTATT Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, Berlin, Germany; Terraformation: Bridging worlds, curated by Mayer Pavilion; photo by V.F. Marrese; ©VFMarrese. Click to download HD Image (for press use only). Please credit V.F. Marrese. Contact us for other use or licensing.

A bundle of brown raffia surrounding a gray object mounted on a white tiled wall. — “Slash-and-Burn Shadows,” detail; StadtWERKSTATT Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, Berlin, Germany; Terraformation: Bridging worlds, curated by Mayer Pavilion; photo by V.F. Marrese; ©VFMarrese. Click to download HD Image (for press use only). Please credit V.F. Marrese. Contact us for other use or licensing.

A close-up of a black, knotted mass of yarn against a white tiled wall. — “Slash-and-Burn Shadows,” detail; StadtWERKSTATT Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, Berlin, Germany; Terraformation: Bridging worlds, curated by Mayer Pavilion; photo by V.F. Marrese; ©VFMarrese. Click to download HD Image (for press use only). Please credit V.F. Marrese. Contact us for other use or licensing.

The wool forms a circle on the floor, referencing a bonfire we made on the hill.

A large, abandoned industrial warehouse with white tiled walls, a concrete floor, and a skylight. A fire extinguisher hangs on the wall. A circular arrangement of chunky yarn lies on the floor, and various other art installations are visible in the background. — “Slash-and-Burn Shadows,” StadtWERKSTATT Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, Berlin, Germany; Terraformation: Bridging worlds, curated by Mayer Pavilion; photo by V.F. Marrese; ©VFMarrese. Click to download HD Image (for press use only). Please credit V.F. Marrese. Contact us for other use or licensing.

The open circle symbolizes the need for air to ignite the fire, something my grandfather, who was a shepherd, once told me.

A long, thick strand of black yarn lying on a red tiled floor. — “Slash-and-Burn Shadows,” detail; StadtWERKSTATT Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, Berlin, Germany; Terraformation: Bridging worlds, curated by Mayer Pavilion; photo by V.F. Marrese; ©VFMarrese. Click to download HD Image (for press use only). Please credit V.F. Marrese. Contact us for other use or licensing.

Vincenzo Fiore Marrese, Email: vincenzo@vfmarrese.com, Phone: +4916093806471, Website: www.vfmarrese.com, Instagram: @vfmarrese, Preferred Pronouns: he/him/his