Mosaic-painted Garden of Eden

Man, nature and technology: For their artwork in the new NOI Techpark in Bolzano, the artist duo Schwarzenfeld chose an eye-catching combination of metal and glass mosaic. Consisting of golden pipes reaching up into the sky and a hyper-realistic natural mosaic floor, CELLA Verticale is an impressive piece of art. This tribute to the workers of the former metalworking factory also criticises the fascist construction method by denying the square column type, which was so important to the rationalists, its functionality.

2.5 square metres of mosaic flooring depict motifs from nature, creating a small Garden of Eden. Designed by artificial intelligence, it was produced by hand in the VAN TREECK mosaic workshops. The artist duo saw the AI as an equal design partner, collaborating with it for weeks to discuss every single plant and its position. This pixel-like symbol of growth and coexistence also bears witness to violence and oppression — this Garden of Eden is fenced in and exploited by humans. Golden pipes shoot uncompromisingly and violently through the peaceful forest floor, forming an insurmountable enclosure. We don't just take what we need; we take what we want,” say the artists.

The craftsmen carefully selected the materials and colours to produce the mosaic. To fulfil the artists' requirements, they first laid out the mosaic in positive view. This ensured that any markings on the material were used for the naturalistic representation of the image. To create a flat surface, they then turned the mosaic over and fixed it with mortar. Finally, the mosaicists filled the joints with a dark-coloured compound and installed the artwork on site.

Photo (c) VAN TREECK / Daniele Fiorentino