MonoXylon
2021



Office CCXD




From the artist’s website:
IntroductionIt is reminiscent of obelisks from ancient Egypt or totem poles of the Native Americans but it is neither. As a new, still to be defined internationalist monument, this solid wooden sculpture invites you to think into the future. It is a centerpiece and symbol around which people gather, defining a place for contemplation and encounters. It invites us to renew our relationship with nature and the cosmos and searches for original approaches to existing social, religious, political or cultural norms. As such—contrary to many other monuments—the MonoXylon does not impose power from above, but rather concentrates collective power from those who surround them.
Work on display at the Venice Architectural Biennal 2021

ResearchIndependently from culture, time or location, multiple communities erected pillars which pierced the sky. Egyptian obelisks, European menhirs and tribal totems represent mystical relationships with a spirit-being, such as animals, plants and the cosmos. These type of monuments mark a place for rituals, ceremonies and gatherings linking humanity with the natural world. They are vessels to communicate and tell stories, and its symbolism shapes the identity of a place, a group or an individual.
www.studio-ossidiana.com

Materiality, manufacturing and constructionCarved from a solid tree, the MonoXylon (Greek: monos= ‘single’ & xylon= ’solid object of wood’) represents our interdependent relationship with nature and the cosmos. The pitched roof (the classic house typology) is one of the most universal element of architecture and is used as a device to generate a “universal sacredness”. As such, the work is neutral and refuses any reference to a specific culture, religion or nation. As a non-referential but sense-making entity, this monument does not subsists as a symbol of something outside itself. The MonoXylon intends to be an internationalist symbol, representing and connecting the current and future multicultural communities of a particular place.















         © Riccardo De Vecchi 2023