Frederico Filippi's 'Cobra Grande' Installation Confronts Deforestation at MAM São Paulo
Frederico Filippi's temporary sculpture 'Cobra Grande' has been inaugurated in the Sculpture Garden of the Museu de Arte Moderna de São Paulo (MAM São Paulo). The work, made from clay, sand, and straw, replicates a 40-meter-long naval chain used in deforestation, known as the 'correntão de desmatamento.' Situated in front of the museum within Ibirapuera Park, the piece visually opposes the industrial aggression of real chains with its fragile, earthy materials. Filippi's research into South America and deforestation informs the project, exploring the friction between forest and industry. The title references a creator figure from various cosmogonies, with the chain's serpentine form evoking a 'second snake' digesting the world. The work is ephemeral, designed to disintegrate with rain and weather, eventually being absorbed into the garden soil. The installation was documented by arte!brasileiros.
Key facts
- Frederico Filippi created the temporary sculpture 'Cobra Grande' for MAM São Paulo's Sculpture Garden.
- The 40-meter-long work replicates a deforestation chain using clay, sand, and straw.
- It is located in front of MAM São Paulo within Ibirapuera Park.
- The piece is based on Filippi's research into South American deforestation and frontier conflicts.
- The title references a mythological creator figure, with the chain's form seen as a 'second snake.'
- The work is ephemeral and will disintegrate naturally into the garden soil.
- The installation critiques the 'digestion' of one world by another at the forest-industry frontier.
- The project was covered by the publication arte!brasileiros.
Entities
Artists
- Frederico Filippi
Institutions
- Museu de Arte Moderna de São Paulo (MAM São Paulo)
- arte!brasileiros
Locations
- São Paulo
- Brazil
- Ibirapuera Park