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8 Million Pounds of Soil Shaped Into Huge 11-Acre Portrait


Cuban-American artist Jorge Rodriguez-Gerada takes landscaping to an entirely new level with his enormous portrait art. His latest work, WISH, was recently revealed as part of the Belfast Festival in Northern Ireland. Across four weeks, Rodriguez-Gerada and volunteers placed about 8 million pounds of soil, sand, and rock throughout the area. Spanning 11 acres, the installation can be experienced in two different ways, first by obtaining an aerial view of the piece from the top of local buildings, and second, by walking on the ground through the rows of natural materials.

Rodriguez-Gerada's unique creative process allows for the creation of massive artworks that draw upon the land while not causing any harm to the environment. The artist says, “Working at very large scales becomes a personal challenge but it also allows me to bring attention to important social issues, the size of the piece is intrinsic to the value of its message. Creativity is always applied in order to define an intervention made only with local materials, with no environmental impact, that works in harmony with the location.”







Jorge Rodriguez-Gerada's website
Belfast Festival website
via [Colossal]

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