Antonio Massarutto - Bestiarium

Antonio Massarutto’s, Bestiarium, is a 2023 collection of life sized animal figures constructed from assortments of found materials both natural and made. Within the gardens of the Archaeological Museum of Naples, Massarutto’s work reflects upon the landscapes and creatures encountered within the historic Macedonian Empire, drawing together narratives of history, art, nature and empire.

I encountered Massarutto’s Bestiarium whilst reading Ron Broglio’s Surface Encounters, leading me into reflections upon the narratives emergent in conversations of nature, the wild, the other, and art. The use of collected and found materials lends each figure an uncertainty and wildness perhaps more characteristic of these creatures than might be conveyed in more traditional means of representation. I find myself encountering in each twig, stump, rope, or wire a wealth of history regarding landscapes, natural cycles, and human industry that convey a sense of age and otherness.

Massarutto’s work can be found on his website here.

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Laurence Edwards - A Thousand Tides