This is “RISORGERE” (meaning, to rise again). It was created by New Orleans based installation artist Luba Zygarewicz while she was at Chalk Hill Artist Residency in Healdsburg, California. Here are Luba’s words on this very moving installation:
“[RISORGERE] is comprised of hundreds of remnants from the Sonoma Fires of 2017, which I collected at a Fire Debris Site in Windsor, CA. These vestiges are organized and woven together into columns to create groupings symbolizing different “areas of a house or belongings”. The perpendicular structures are strung together horizontally to create a cohesive structure that is suspended with some pieces just above the ground.
Undergirding the structure, much like an offering, lay hundreds of pieces of melted glass salvaged from the fires. The glass pieces are arranged from light to dark and stand as symbols of the frailty of life, while serving as reminders of strength and resilience.
While sifting and digging at the salvage yard, I felt a strong sense that each piece I found represented a person’s life, and possibly their dream of a house, car, phone, baseball bat, etc. I also imagined how those affected by the fires had searched and dug for things they could recognize and reclaim. This process of gathering was a heart wrenching experience. Back at the studio, after cleaning each piece, I set out to arrange them in a way that created a narrative by finding common elements among a disparity of objects. The symmetrical lines from the vineyards in Sonoma County inspired the overall visual design.
I am deeply honored to be considered to have this work on display as an homage to the many individuals and families who have risen again, and have rebuilt their lives one piece at the time.”
Beautiful. And sad. And hopeful.
Wow. Just wow. It was stunning even before her description.