R Magazine, Ex-TeenArt_Issue 1_Authenticity Ap. 2014 | Page 13

Humus is the name of an installation imagined and designed by Giusseppe Licari

and exposed in TENT, Rotterdam, in 2012. The term «humus», refers to the layer of soil
essential for plant growth of organic compounds.
«Humus» is an installation of dead trees’ roots that are suspended on the ceiling. The artist
decided to put the public under these transformed trees, and to use huge chandeliers to
make some lighting effects which made disturbing shadows appear on the room’s floor. The
visitor feels small in front of the nature overlooking the room. As if he was in a den, he must
sneak around the complexity of the root system.
Finally, the only thing missing for the plants to be truly alive is some humus.

writing : Laura Bonnieu

translation : Anne Solange Diene

layout : Laura Bonnieu

TEEN’ART Magazine - Roots