Like an epiphany, Descendant (2012–ongoing) is an aerial sculpture with no mass, suspended in the darkness. The threadlike structure is composed of concretions of residual materials such as ash, and other natural materials like vegetal resins and crystals, tracing out a slender design in space. Installed on the structure–which in its winding, symmetrical form retains a biomorphic imprint–there is a system of programmed holographic LEDs projected onto a fabric of highly reflective glass microspheres, mapping out a constellation within the exhibition space.*

The Descendants are holo-dimensional beings sublimated into pure energy. This series of sculptures form the long-term environmental installation entitled Family Reunion reflecting on energy fields, intergenerational exchange and the circularity of time. The trilogy, The Living (2011–ongoing), The Ancestors (2017–ongoing), The Descendants (2012-ongoing), encapsulates a space in which those who have died, those who are alive, and those who are yet to be born can meet in a continuous form of time.

By using materials like ash and volcanic sand—elements that have undergone transformative processes over millennia—the sculpture embodies a sense of geological time. These materials are not merely residues; they are witnesses to Earth's transformation, carrying within them stories of cataclysmic events and natural evolution. Their integration into an ethereal structure suspended in darkness creates an evocative juxtaposition between solidity and weightlessness. The use of holographic LEDs projected onto highly reflective glass microspheres adds another layer to this complex interplay between past and future. Holography itself is a technology that captures light patterns to create three-dimensional images—essentially freezing moments in time while allowing them to be viewed from multiple angles. This mirrors how The Descendants series invites viewers to contemplate different temporal dimensions simultaneously: geological epochs represented by ash and sand alongside futuristic visions rendered through the lens of technology. The biomorphic design suggests organic growth patterns found in nature—vines winding around trees or roots spreading through soil—highlighting life's inherent tendency towards complexity and interconnection. This biomorphism serves as a visual metaphor for how all things are linked across time scales—from microscopic particles forming rocks deep underground to stars forming constellations far above us.

*extract from Chrysalis catalog, edited by Andrea Bellini, CAC geneve, 2023

DESCENDANT (I), 2022
VOLCANIC SAND (ORIGIN: STROMBOLI, IT), BRASS, LEDS, ASH, QUARTZ CRYSTALS
140×120×30 CM (55.2×47.2×7.3 IN)

+, 2022
VOLCANIC SAND (ORIGIN: STROMBOLI, IT), BRASS, LEDS, ASH, QUARTZ CRYSTALS
70×70×45 CM (27.5×27.5× 17.7 IN)

CROWN (II), 2022
VOLCANIC SAND (ORIGIN: STROMBOLI, IT), BRASS, LEDS, ASH, QUARTZ CRYSTALS
45×45×30 CM (17.7×17.7×11.8 IN)

KEPHRI (I), 2022
VOLCANIC SAND (ORIGIN: STROMBOLI, IT), BRASS, LEDS, ASH, QUARTZ CRYSTALS
35×20×10 CM (13.7×7.8×3.9IN)