Histoire et destin - New Men’s Land (Star) 2016

Gian Maria Tosatti’s sculpture, Histoire et destin - New Men’s Land (Star), presents a study in contrasts: the cold, grey sky against a landscape punctuated with unexpected, vibrant gold. It looks like a performance. It feels like something new being made. There’s a definite tension in the material choices, with what looks like spray paint providing a sharp contrast to the gritty texture of the land. The opaque gold of these block-like forms invites contemplation, urging us to consider their relationship with the natural world. They’re like stage props in the landscape. What are they doing there? Look at the solitary figure, perched atop one of these golden promontories, silhouetted against the expanse of the sky. It’s a gesture that recalls Caspar David Friedrich’s wanderers but with a contemporary twist. Maybe the work nods to Arte Povera, with its emphasis on simple materials and its rejection of commercial values. But really this is about the weird way we see and experience the world. Is it art? Is it life? Yes.