TERRA NOVA AN AMERICAN FORMATION

The sculpture formation TERRA NOVA refers to Christopher Columbus’ landing place. On the coasts of the Caribbean island he named ”Hispaniola“ he sought and found a place.

TERRA NOVA was created here, where the course was set for an entirely new development, which has led to terrible disasters, but which also offers enormous opportunities. It is a walk-in formation of sculptures, serving as a starting point for a new voyage of discovery, not in a geographical sense, but in terms of exploring continents within our split selves.

TERRA NOVA begins with a bronze cast of a human skull. The channels of the bloodstream, which once supplied the brain with vital blood, correspond to the rivers crossing the land as perceived from an airplane.

Earth, water, clay, concrete, bronze, fire, stones and plants are the constituent elements of TERRA NOVA, the point where two worlds clash: CASA DE CAMPO and LA ROMANA – wealth and poverty.

TERRA NOVA is a continent in itself. It is as limited as the life of every human and as limitless as the opportunities within our reach.

THERE IS NO LAND
WHERE YOU ARE NOT.

When Columbus came to the island in 1492, it was inhabited by some 500.000 to 3 million (estimates differ widely) Tainos, a subgroup to the Arawakans. They called their land ”Haiti“ (‘Aiti’ = mountainos land). 50 years later they had become extinct through murder, forced labor and European epidemics.

THERE IS NO LAND
WHERE YOU ARE NOT.

Africans were brought in as slaves and sugarcane production started. In 1791 the French Revolution saw its continuation in the uprising against the landowners.

TERRA NOVA is situated in the luxury enclave of CASA DE CAMPO: a state within the state for the Dominican elite, affluent North Americans and Europeans – with private police protection – in one of the poorest countries of the world.

THERE IS NO LAND
WHERE YOU ARE NOT.

realization 1996-1997

see: the TERRA NOVA works