Overview
“infinito” is a land art installation that utilizes the sculptural nature of Ficus trees to sculpt a large tall infinite symbol made of roots, trunks, and branch weaved together. The original idea is inspired by the sculptural and fast growing nature all Ficus trees, (communally found in the Puerto Rican landscape), to build a large sculpture. Working around the concept of time (or the relative value of time), “Infinito” functions as a meditative experience, putting in relationship the virtually infinite life of a tree with the one of a human life.
As human we inhabit the planet and organize it by rules that we have came to believe as representative of “the reality”. Earth however is home to endless forms of realities, to which our is not superior but merely part of.
“Reality” is in instance a relative concept, defined by the nature and the life span of a given living form. To illustrate, priority among living creature might change drastically based on their life spend or environment.
By not tailoring to “human’ sense” of time, “Infinito”, puts us before an exercise of “slow art” , growing and existing at the speed of a living form other than us. Introduced to a difference sense of “reality” the viewer is invited to slow down, meditate and revaluing one existence in relationship to “time” and “cosmic time”.
While it might take up to 10 years for “Infinito” to grow into its final shape, this sculpture will live and change forever, escaping any definition of ownership and objectification. Yet, once left to its own, it will dissolve back into its natural landscape becoming “nothing” or at list “nothing” in terms of “human sense”. “Infinito” revert the center of attention from the ephemeral nature of the art work to the ephemeral nature of the viewer forcing it to reflect upon our ephemeral existence as inhabitant of planet. A introspection that I hope will spark self reflection about our natural surroundings, time and the use we made of it.
After researching Puerto Rican botanic diversity, I came across two types Ficus that I’m interested in using for the project: Jagüey Blanco Ficus citrifolia and Ficus stahlii. I’m especially interested in the Ficus stahlii as is both endangered and found only in Puerto Rico. Naturally I don’t want to create stress to the plant nor kill them. Fro this reason I have been in contact with CATEC form the Universidad de Puerto Rico (which run the project Flora Virtual El Verde http://floraelverde.catec.upr.edu/index.php) to pinpoint the best spices and method to move forward with the project.
The idea around the “infinito” is to foster the planting local a tree (including planting whatever bio diversity it needs around to support it live hood) and train it to grow as an infinite shape for how many years it might takes.
The growth progression is documented every year with a photograph documenting the work and its impact on the local community. In this occasions I will travel back to Puerto to do the documentation, monitor the plant health and if need make changes in the sculptural growth of the tree.
