1987 – bronze, galestro stone, plants
A farm hillside near the park was the site chosen by the artist on which to create a series of rings that trace the history of the Tuscan landscape from its origins to the contemporary period. At the center, Sonfist planted the “primordial forest”, that includes plants indigenous to Tuscany. This forest is surrounded by branches found in the woods and cast in bronze to be reincarnated as “guardians of the forest”. Among the bronze branches, the herb thyme grows wild and creates a play on words with “time”. The next circle is made of laurel, introduced into Italy by the Greeks and associated with the crowning of heroes and poets. Around the laurel lies a ring of galestro stone, which was brought to the surface from underneath the soil, and will erode over time to blend back in with the earth. The successive ring of pre-existing olive trees (the source of the artist’s inspiration) announces the use of the land for modern-day farming. This idea is reinforced by the last circle, made of wheat that is sown annually, which ripens and turns yellow in July, a golden crown around the whole installation.
