Souvenir di montagna, 2023

CorTen steel and stone
260 × 260 × 260 cm (steel element)
Molino Nuovo, Lugano
The installation as a whole
Souvenir di montagna is a scattering of different elements in the green space near the kindergarten. Some of these are 'finds', rocks of different shapes from excavations carried out in past years in the Ticino region.
Of these found blocks, only one is designed and built in CorTen steel. The displacement of the real rock blocks makes it possible to create an environment reminiscent of nature, in which it is possible to articulate a comparison between a found rock and a designed rock. In this sense, an archetype of an erratic boulder from the mountain is represented in the installation; being a polyhedron-sculpture apparently ready to roll, it suggests the idea of movement in a potential state. Unlike the rock, it is massless and therefore accessible within. The CorTen element of Mountain Souvenir thus becomes both shelter and play, ready to be explored by entering through one of the missing faces of the polyhedron. From the inside, it is possible to have a glimpse of the outside through military-looking loopholes as if it were part of the composite defence apparatus of Ticino with observatories in caves dug into the rock, with the camouflaged firing positions for artillery pieces placed to dominate the access routes to the Swiss Confederation from above. The assonance with military architecture means that the installation appropriates the battler's nature, exorcised, however, by its placement in a playful context.
Change of perspective
In an abstract time between 10,000 and 500 million years, mountains fragmented as they wandered into spaces that were not their own. The scattering of erratic terrain in the form of huge blocks of rock placed on hilltops or isolated in the middle of flood plains has given rise to the most fanciful popular beliefs and theories to justify its presence. It was not until the first half of the 19th century that glaciers and their retreat were identified as the real cause of the movement. This knowledge leads us to a change in perspective: it is as if the mountain had first approached man and not vice versa.
Is the mountain immobile?
Souvenir di montagna tends to broaden the scope of art. It takes temporality, nature, landscape and potential movement into account. In geology, an 'erratic' is any material that is not native to the local context, but moved by natural phenomena. Erratic boulders are rock fragments transported by glaciers, often over distances of hundreds of kilometres. The appearance of an erratic boulder is always different. It is a large block of rock that is found where it should not be; throughout the Alps and along the Apennine ridge they occur in large numbers. Their shape is designed by the accidental nature of their erratics. The irregular concave and convex planes define a shape of the whole that suggests movement.
Is the mountain immovable? The mountain appears immovable, but if we observe it on the scale of geological time, marked by eras, periods and epochs, its state is only temporary. The earth's habitat is in constant motion, but the gap between the human and geological time scales makes it imperceptible. Man's life expectancy, cadenced by decades or centuries, is small compared to the earth's crustal upheavals that take place on the geological time scale: therefore, only if judged by human criteria does the mountain appear immobile and definitive.
The Swiss context
With its shape and meaning, Souvenir di montagna responds to a precise landscape context, namely that of mountainous Switzerland. Most of the Swiss territory is occupied by mountains: the Jura massif covers 10%, while the Alps occupy as much as 60% of the country. Given the centrality of the mountains, Switzerland is a kind of geological laboratory. It is no coincidence that the science of geology was born from the observation of Swiss peaks and glaciers.
In the Swiss context, everything relates to rock. Everywhere you look, high mountains rise up and the many valleys are the result of erosion and sedimentation of stone. One also lives viscerally with the rock and the mountain: perforated and reshaped, it conceals many bunkers and the most diverse military works for the defence of strategic areas, or exploited in the civil sphere as an architectural wall for shelters, stables, houses and refuges.
Mountain Souvenirs relates significantly and coherently to the mountain landscape, which becomes the main starting point for the theoretical research and formal realisation of the sculpture. In addition to the many layers of meaning with which the work is clothed, the installation at Molino Nuovo also becomes a small human homage to the impressive geological history of the Swiss mountains.
Anna Del Torchio, 2023
An archetype
Souvenir di montagna is not intended to represent a rock according to its actual features: its construction relies on a process that is both rational and random at the same time. Hypothesising a design path for the construction of an 'archetype' of an erratic boulder, through a geometric rationalisation of the natural form, leads us to consider the regular hexahedron as a starting point.At this point, with a procedure defined in eight steps: the random truncation of the cube's corners, a more natural morphology can be evoked. An irregular polyhedron with rounded corners suggests the idea of movement in a potential state, like a boulder ready to roll.
The missing face of the polyhedron allows exploration of its interior.
The absence of one of the 14 sides of this construction allows access to its interior. Souvenir di montagna evokes suggestions linked to the history of territorial defence, such as the defensive bunkers present in the Swiss landscape, which, with their loopholes to control the external territory, bear witness to a historical past of vigilance and protection. Indeed, Switzerland, with its policy of neutrality and its ability to stay out of world conflicts, is a significant example of resilience and preservation. The entrance to 'Mountain Souvenirs' recalls this feeling of protection and security, offering a small temporary refuge, evoking a sense of stability in an ever-changing world. This historical association adds a new dimension to the design experience, inviting one to reflect not only on the nature of its form, but also on the historical and cultural implications that may emerge from the act of entering inside.
The playground
The placement of Souvenir di montagna in the Molino Nuovo playground raises interesting and complex questions regarding the role of play, art and culture in the education of children. On the one hand, this choice could raise concerns about its appearance with warlike connotations, especially in a context intended for children. However, it is important to consider that playing war is a common childhood practice in many cultures. It is a way for children to explore social dynamics, face fears and develop cognitive and motor skills while exorcising real violence and war.
'Erratic' becomes 'Mountain Souvenir'
Cavenago's work Souvenir di montagna, located in the Molino Nuovo playground, is a profound reflection on the relationship between the artificial and the natural, between childhood and historical culture. This work, which allows access to its interior, offers an immersive experience reminiscent of natural caves and caverns, primordial spaces of refuge and protection. However, Cavenago goes beyond mere representation: he challenges convention, allowing visitors to physically explore the interior of a solid, breaking the barrier between viewer and work.
In 'Erratico', the artist engages with Swiss cultural tradition, recalling the ancestral sport of stone throwing in Urspunnen, a practice that celebrates strength and connection to the earth. This historical connection is echoed in the Battle of the Big Stones in Giornico, where stones were weapons of territorial defence. The Swiss defence bunkers, with their loopholes for territorial control, camouflaged among the rocks, represent a further dialogue between artificial and natural. These defence elements, camouflaged as rocks, become symbols of resistance and protection, evoking Switzerland's ability to maintain its neutrality and security through the world's conflicts.
Cavenago, inspired by an artistic legacy ranging from Alberto Giacometti to Albrecht Dürer, transforms pure geometric forms into complex and irregular representations. Giacometti's 'Kubus', preserved at the Kunsthaus Zurich, explores the tension between geometry and the portrait, while Dürer's irregular polyhedron in 'Melencolia I' symbolises the enigma and depth of the human condition. Similarly, Cavenago starts with a regular hexahedron, a Platonic solid, and through an eight-stage truncation process, introduces the irregularity and randomness that characterise natural forms. The result is a tetracaidecahedron, or truncated cube, which in Cavenago's case, becomes a reminder of the imperfection and beauty of nature.
The placement of 'Erratico' in a playground raises further reflections. In a context intended for childhood, the work invites us to consider play as a universal practice of exploring and understanding the world. Playing war, simulating dynamics of defence and attack, is a way for children to exorcise real violence and develop cognitive and social skills. The work's loopholes, which allow a view of the outside, are reminiscent of bunkers, offering a perspective of protection and vigilance.
The integration of the playful element with historical and cultural references makes 'Erratico' a complex, layered work. The artist suggests that, even in a changing world, there are spaces of refuge and safety. The use of irregular shapes and truncated surfaces is not only a tribute to the randomness of nature, but also a critique of formal perfection, inviting viewers to find beauty and meaning in imperfections and diversity. Through the sensory experience of entering the work, with light and shadow dancing through the slits, Cavenago creates a microcosm of reflection and contemplation, a 'mountain souvenir' that connects us with the deepest roots of our existence and culture.

Souvenir di montagna, 2023

CorTen steel and stone
260 × 260 × 260 cm (steel element)
Molino Nuovo, Lugano
The installation as a whole
Souvenir di montagna is a scattering of different elements in the green space near the kindergarten. Some of these are 'finds', rocks of different shapes from excavations carried out in past years in the Ticino region.
Of these found blocks, only one is designed and built in CorTen steel. The displacement of the real rock blocks makes it possible to create an environment reminiscent of nature, in which it is possible to articulate a comparison between a found rock and a designed rock. In this sense, an archetype of an erratic boulder from the mountain is represented in the installation; being a polyhedron-sculpture apparently ready to roll, it suggests the idea of movement in a potential state. Unlike the rock, it is massless and therefore accessible within. The CorTen element of Mountain Souvenir thus becomes both shelter and play, ready to be explored by entering through one of the missing faces of the polyhedron. From the inside, it is possible to have a glimpse of the outside through military-looking loopholes as if it were part of the composite defence apparatus of Ticino with observatories in caves dug into the rock, with the camouflaged firing positions for artillery pieces placed to dominate the access routes to the Swiss Confederation from above. The assonance with military architecture means that the installation appropriates the battler's nature, exorcised, however, by its placement in a playful context.
Change of perspective
In an abstract time between 10,000 and 500 million years, mountains fragmented as they wandered into spaces that were not their own. The scattering of erratic terrain in the form of huge blocks of rock placed on hilltops or isolated in the middle of flood plains has given rise to the most fanciful popular beliefs and theories to justify its presence. It was not until the first half of the 19th century that glaciers and their retreat were identified as the real cause of the movement. This knowledge leads us to a change in perspective: it is as if the mountain had first approached man and not vice versa.
Is the mountain immobile?
Souvenir di montagna tends to broaden the scope of art. It takes temporality, nature, landscape and potential movement into account. In geology, an 'erratic' is any material that is not native to the local context, but moved by natural phenomena. Erratic boulders are rock fragments transported by glaciers, often over distances of hundreds of kilometres. The appearance of an erratic boulder is always different. It is a large block of rock that is found where it should not be; throughout the Alps and along the Apennine ridge they occur in large numbers. Their shape is designed by the accidental nature of their erratics. The irregular concave and convex planes define a shape of the whole that suggests movement.
Is the mountain immovable? The mountain appears immovable, but if we observe it on the scale of geological time, marked by eras, periods and epochs, its state is only temporary. The earth's habitat is in constant motion, but the gap between the human and geological time scales makes it imperceptible. Man's life expectancy, cadenced by decades or centuries, is small compared to the earth's crustal upheavals that take place on the geological time scale: therefore, only if judged by human criteria does the mountain appear immobile and definitive.
The Swiss context
With its shape and meaning, Souvenir di montagna responds to a precise landscape context, namely that of mountainous Switzerland. Most of the Swiss territory is occupied by mountains: the Jura massif covers 10%, while the Alps occupy as much as 60% of the country. Given the centrality of the mountains, Switzerland is a kind of geological laboratory. It is no coincidence that the science of geology was born from the observation of Swiss peaks and glaciers.
In the Swiss context, everything relates to rock. Everywhere you look, high mountains rise up and the many valleys are the result of erosion and sedimentation of stone. One also lives viscerally with the rock and the mountain: perforated and reshaped, it conceals many bunkers and the most diverse military works for the defence of strategic areas, or exploited in the civil sphere as an architectural wall for shelters, stables, houses and refuges.
Mountain Souvenirs relates significantly and coherently to the mountain landscape, which becomes the main starting point for the theoretical research and formal realisation of the sculpture. In addition to the many layers of meaning with which the work is clothed, the installation at Molino Nuovo also becomes a small human homage to the impressive geological history of the Swiss mountains.
Anna Del Torchio, 2023
An archetype
Souvenir di montagna is not intended to represent a rock according to its actual features: its construction relies on a process that is both rational and random at the same time. Hypothesising a design path for the construction of an 'archetype' of an erratic boulder, through a geometric rationalisation of the natural form, leads us to consider the regular hexahedron as a starting point.At this point, with a procedure defined in eight steps: the random truncation of the cube's corners, a more natural morphology can be evoked. An irregular polyhedron with rounded corners suggests the idea of movement in a potential state, like a boulder ready to roll.
The missing face of the polyhedron allows exploration of its interior.
The absence of one of the 14 sides of this construction allows access to its interior. Souvenir di montagna evokes suggestions linked to the history of territorial defence, such as the defensive bunkers present in the Swiss landscape, which, with their loopholes to control the external territory, bear witness to a historical past of vigilance and protection. Indeed, Switzerland, with its policy of neutrality and its ability to stay out of world conflicts, is a significant example of resilience and preservation. The entrance to 'Mountain Souvenirs' recalls this feeling of protection and security, offering a small temporary refuge, evoking a sense of stability in an ever-changing world. This historical association adds a new dimension to the design experience, inviting one to reflect not only on the nature of its form, but also on the historical and cultural implications that may emerge from the act of entering inside.
The playground
The placement of Souvenir di montagna in the Molino Nuovo playground raises interesting and complex questions regarding the role of play, art and culture in the education of children. On the one hand, this choice could raise concerns about its appearance with warlike connotations, especially in a context intended for children. However, it is important to consider that playing war is a common childhood practice in many cultures. It is a way for children to explore social dynamics, face fears and develop cognitive and motor skills while exorcising real violence and war.
'Erratic' becomes 'Mountain Souvenir'
Cavenago's work Souvenir di montagna, located in the Molino Nuovo playground, is a profound reflection on the relationship between the artificial and the natural, between childhood and historical culture. This work, which allows access to its interior, offers an immersive experience reminiscent of natural caves and caverns, primordial spaces of refuge and protection. However, Cavenago goes beyond mere representation: he challenges convention, allowing visitors to physically explore the interior of a solid, breaking the barrier between viewer and work.
In 'Erratico', the artist engages with Swiss cultural tradition, recalling the ancestral sport of stone throwing in Urspunnen, a practice that celebrates strength and connection to the earth. This historical connection is echoed in the Battle of the Big Stones in Giornico, where stones were weapons of territorial defence. The Swiss defence bunkers, with their loopholes for territorial control, camouflaged among the rocks, represent a further dialogue between artificial and natural. These defence elements, camouflaged as rocks, become symbols of resistance and protection, evoking Switzerland's ability to maintain its neutrality and security through the world's conflicts.
Cavenago, inspired by an artistic legacy ranging from Alberto Giacometti to Albrecht Dürer, transforms pure geometric forms into complex and irregular representations. Giacometti's 'Kubus', preserved at the Kunsthaus Zurich, explores the tension between geometry and the portrait, while Dürer's irregular polyhedron in 'Melencolia I' symbolises the enigma and depth of the human condition. Similarly, Cavenago starts with a regular hexahedron, a Platonic solid, and through an eight-stage truncation process, introduces the irregularity and randomness that characterise natural forms. The result is a tetracaidecahedron, or truncated cube, which in Cavenago's case, becomes a reminder of the imperfection and beauty of nature.
The placement of 'Erratico' in a playground raises further reflections. In a context intended for childhood, the work invites us to consider play as a universal practice of exploring and understanding the world. Playing war, simulating dynamics of defence and attack, is a way for children to exorcise real violence and develop cognitive and social skills. The work's loopholes, which allow a view of the outside, are reminiscent of bunkers, offering a perspective of protection and vigilance.
The integration of the playful element with historical and cultural references makes 'Erratico' a complex, layered work. The artist suggests that, even in a changing world, there are spaces of refuge and safety. The use of irregular shapes and truncated surfaces is not only a tribute to the randomness of nature, but also a critique of formal perfection, inviting viewers to find beauty and meaning in imperfections and diversity. Through the sensory experience of entering the work, with light and shadow dancing through the slits, Cavenago creates a microcosm of reflection and contemplation, a 'mountain souvenir' that connects us with the deepest roots of our existence and culture.

L'interno dell'opera con le feritoie
Photo © Nadia Ponci
Photo © Suzanne Schmollgruber

Uno dei trovanti che circondano la costruzione in acciaio

Federica Alamia durante il trattamento dell'acciaio CorTen
Photo © Nadia Ponci

Marco Malfanti posiziona un trovante nella sua nuova collocazione

Lo staff Rebuzzi, per la consueta foto di rito, all'interno dell'opera prima della consegna

Morgan, Andrea, Giorgio e Saule Rebuzzi

Giorgio Rebuzzi salda le lamiere interne

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