Zoé Bertano

The White Asphodel (Asphodelus albus) is a pyrophytic species; it resists fires and uses them to spread more efficiently. It is through prolonged contact with flora and fauna that we rediscover the rawness of the elements and our shared materiality. Like chimeras, this work takes shape through a process of intuitive associations and assemblages, reminiscent of the surrealist game of exquisite corpses. Where a bird stands as a guardian, fossilized flowers emerge from the soil. The complexity of the assemblages – both symbolic and technical –testifies to the diversity of the living, in contrast to the simplified ideas we often impose upon it.
By reusing forms of life that are often invisible and thus paying them a tangible tribute before they vanish, an act of remembrance is performed. This is achieved through precise casts of bones, based on close observations, and a meticulous attention to the anatomical details: curves, textures and colors that nature itself uses. By studying these forms with precision, their intrinsic complexity is revealed, and is reintroduced through into our society, renewing our perception. The more we are confronted with these shapes of biomass, the more we are encouraged to question our relationship with them and the way in which we include ourselves within their realm.