Works
Cesare’s works are organised in series that explore the origins of life and the complicated relationship between Humankind and Earth.
Soaked sponges
Natural sponges of both marine and vegetable origin are here soaked in inks made from living organisms such as cyanobacteria and algae and stabilized in resin, oil or alcohol. They are a celebration of the magic of our world, emphasizing the beauty of these unique living organisms, not quite vegetable, not quite animal. Their amazing powers of absorption soak up the human-made ink deep into their structure, perpetuating the strong inter-relationship between the natural and the artificial.
Closed Waters
Energy bottles
Leathers and Papers
It’s an investigation of the relationship between humans and our natural environment. Full or partial animal hides and strips of paper of different types and size bear marks made with inks derived from cyanobacteria and other living organisms. The leather and paper media are a celebration of human ingeniousness and the generosity of the Earth. The marks generally consist of circles, rounded triangles or infinite lines, which bear the memory of our desperate need to seek meaning––a characteristic of our abstract minds that distinguishes humans from other animals.
Magic clay
Wooden things
Sourcing and working wood is an ancestral, age-old human activity, and one we will keep doing until the end. The magic of it is that although we have been making things from wood for thousands of years, there will always be room for new objects of unprecedented form and function. Functional objects with simple, conventional uses draw a passive response from people, whereas dysfunctional objects have unexpected uses, requiring active engagement to understand their purpose. Some objects are made for people to interact with physically, others for interaction on an abstract level.
Burned Stuff
Burning is an act that honours both technical and spiritual human knowledge. Technically, burning is used to preserve wood by charring its surface to make it waterproof. Spiritually, it is a purifying ritual in many religions for the human body and soul. This series consists of charcoal objects made by burning wooden pieces either before or after their assembly into things. Burnt Stuff are works of pure human ingeniousness.
Skeletons in the closet
Bones are frightening. They remind us of death. But they also appeal to the extremely adventurous, because they help people come to terms with the inevitable. Ultimately, it is about superstition. The bones bear the memory, and in some way the spirit, of the animals they belonged to, bearing witness to what came before us. But they are also a future memory, of what will come after us
Manipulated Space
