The edition is a series of unique bricks made of a combination of rammed earth and old toys and is based on Pedro Wirz’s Our cities are made to be destroyed from 2022, presented in the Brazilian-Swiss artist’s solo exhibition Environmental Hangover at Kunsthalle Basel. The artist found inspiration for this work on a research trip to the Amazon region, where he visited illegal gold mines, among other places. The removal of layers of earth in search of gold inadvertently uncovers geological strata that reveal fundamental information about the earth’s history and its lifeforms.
As an edition for Kunsthalle Basel, Wirz created 33 bricks titled Bloco (block), each unique. Embedded in the rammed earth are toy cars, trucks, airplanes, and helicopters, playfully visualizing the geological stratum in which we now live: an era of significant human impact on the earth’s ecosystems, known as the Anthropocene.
One-third of the proceeds will go to the Fundo arte da Floresta when an edition is purchased. This fund was initiated by Wirz and the organization Vem do Xingu to support the creative work of indigenous people in the central Rio Xingu region in Brazil. For years, Vem do Xingu has been a supporter of river farming, indigenous people, and family businesses in this region. More information about the organization here vemdoxingu.pa.amazoniativa.com/