Sebastián Dávila. Tierra rota se hace el día

Networks of footbridges and stilts, other architectural structures and even entire cities have been built on swamp land. In fragile zones and ecosystems, whether it is present-day Puerto Rico, the La Sagne peat bogs of the past or the ancient settlement of La Tène, islands were and continue to be a strategy for remaining above the surface of a world in peril.

Sebastián Dávila fuses personal and collective memories, interspersing the resulting mix with a variety of cultural references. From paintings to installations, the artist enjoys exploring and using different mediums. Materiality is a central focus of his creative production. His works draw on images and language, and have a syncretic, magical quality.

In this installation, Dávila has used local wood and soil to create a series of modest structures which reflect certain way of thinking about architecture, urbanism and society. He brings the impenetrable forest closer. Here, under the shady mango trees, Nature's cycles pulsate to a secret beat, and termite colonies fashion and live in a self-contained system of tunnels and other structures. These superorganisms stir up visions of a new way of life for humanity which is rooted in communitarianism, self-sufficiency and sustainability.

Sebastián Dávila was born in 1992, and grew up in Puerto Rico and the United States. He now lives and works in Lausanne, and has recently graduated from HEAD, the Geneva School of Art and Design.