The ‘Avanguardia’ (‘avant-garde’) project involves situating a cubic metre of Luserna stone within the Ceresetto stream (‘Bial’ in Occitan), which meanders through the hamlet of Saretto in Monterosso Grana. The work, in both its form and title, alludes to the Minimalism movement, one of the Neoavanguardie of the Sixties, known for its artistic practices focusing on materials and the use of elementary geometric shapes. The title also serves as an ironic commentary on the industrial extraction processes that have marred the planet’s natural and ecological equilibrium.

The cube’s crisp and youthful form presents a stark contrast to the smoothed stones of the stream bed: it is akin to an alien element introduced into the water, reminiscent of the bygone era of slate quarrying that ceased a few decades prior. The artwork embodies the action of water as an integral component. Over time, the anarchic forces of water will erode the block, and any tumultuous floods may displace it. This cube stands as a totem within the fluid sanctuary of the Bial stream, destined to become indistinguishable from the other stones in a million years.