Sepa – Victor Giannotta – S’evennent – Leave VI

Hand carved wood leave, made by French artist and wood sculptor Victor Gianotta.
Made of Chestnut wood.

“Perhaps you don’t know that the leaves are sculpted from dead and diseased chestnut trees. Ink disease is caused by a microscopic pathogen called Phytophthora, which spreads from tree to tree through water in the soil. This leads to root necrosis, cutting off the trees’ ability to absorb nutrients. With failing root systems and increasingly severe summer droughts, chestnut trees struggle to take up water and wither. The result is landscapes of petrified trees, which I noticed as soon as I arrived in the Cévennes.

The “s’evennent” leaves are an attempt to honor them, evoking their past tremors. There is nothing to be done against the spread of ink disease, so I collect and repurpose these mysterious pieces of wood and share them with you.”

Dimensions: Lenght: 36cm x Width: 11cm