Fairy ring



  • Fairy ring, 2023
    Stainless spheres, aluminum bars
    11 x 11 x 0.6 m | 36 x 36 x 2 ft - Site-specific





The installation Fairy ring brings to light a natural phenomenon that has fuelled popular beliefs and mystical stories for centuries: the witches’ circle. What was once thought to be the path traced by witches during their ritual dances is actually a manifestation of the underground, invisible apparatus of fungi. The mycelium of some species of basidiomycete fungi expands radially with each successive fruiting, in search of new nutrients. When the central mycelium dies, the nutrients are returned to the soil and the grass can thus regrow. A continuous process of birth, death and decomposition, necessary for the cyclical maintenance of organisms in the ecosystem.

Fairy ring links up with the Ladin custom of the Sass de Putia dances to narrate the Badiota territory through its natural elements and traditions, rediscovering subterranean characters and age-old beliefs that are static only in appearance. The installation emphasises the capacity of the natural element, whether majestic or hidden, to intrigue and bewitch the human being, breaking down the barriers between the rational and the supernatural. Human action fits into the landscape without overpowering it, emphasising an element that is fundamental to its constitution: mushrooms.


The work is realized in collaboration with RGP Balls – Technical support