Volume
in Space to have new life
Madeleine
Sautié Rodríguez
THE harmony which, of necessity,
must prevail between cities, nature and human beings
is an old idea reflected successfully in the work of
artist Alejandro Sautié Viera, and his ephemeral,
open-air sculpture Volumen en el espacio (Volume
in Space) has once again evoked this.
|
Volumen en
el espacio, installed at the
intersection of Mercaderes y Amargura,
Old Havana, as a collateral part of this
year’s Havana Biennale. |
The installation, of 3.00 x 1.50 x
1.25 meters, located at the intersection of
Mercaderes and Amargura, in Old Havana, is composed
of paper and cardboard cylinders and corrugated
cardboard tubes, assembled using flanges, cardboard
joints and metal rods in an open space, harmonizing
architectural aspects with nature and human beings.
"Through the actions of nature, the
construction will soon disappear, when it will be
recycled in order not to end the useful cycle of the
materials, which will be placed in recycling bins
around the site. But the digital construction will
remain permanently as a testimony to the fact that
with sustainable technological development and much
strength of will, we can save the constructions of
our environment," its author explained.
"This ‘finale’ of the installation
is intended to call attention to the situation
presented by our city, fundamentally in the context
of Diez de Octubre Avenue, previously called Jesús
del Monte, one of the highest exponents of
eclecticism in the country and which, in spite of
its current deterioration, constitutes one of the
most important commercial and residential points in
Havana. The fundamental elements of the installation
have been covered with current photographs of the
avenue, printed on recycled paper, and with photos
of restoration works in Havana’s Plaza Vieja."
Together with Desecho industrial
(Industrial Waste, 1994), the sculpture
completes a series calling attention to the balance
that must exist between cities, industry, nature and
humans, and the option of recycling materials in
order to use them for other construction, thus
giving them a new usefulness and life.
