Ana Dias Batista

Three-Headed Hound, 2021

A lava rock from each of Italy's active volcanoes - Etna, Stromboli and Vesuvius. Faceted on two adjacent sides, the three rocks fit together but are kept apart.

I gathered volcanic rocks from the three active volcanoes in Italy: Etna, Stromboli and Vesuvius. Unconventional methods were utilized to obtain the rocks, since the volcanoes were located in protected national parks. To the geologic history of the rocks another history was added, that of their extraction and social circulation. The work’s material truth was challenged with reports of illegal mining, tourist arrests and fake provenance. It was titled in reference to Cerberus, the three-throated beast that guarded the gates of hell in ancient mythology. For Aeneas to be able to get into Hades, Sybil had to trick Cerberus, feeding him a poisoned pie. The only alteration I made to the three rocks was to cut two adjacent facets at 120-degree, so they fit together. Yet, they are kept apart.

The remains of the cuts were brought to Brazil and cut into spheres, originating "Ignition" and "Scusa".

Illustration in Mundus Subterraneus, Athanasius Kircher, 1664.
Nicolò dell'Abate (1510-1571). Preparatory drawing for the Aeneid Frescoes in Scandiano
At a stone shop in Catania I bought certified etnean cobblestones, which I then abandoned on the side of the road, saving the invoice to board the flight to Rome with the rocks I'd brought from Etna and Stromboli.
Voleva portare a casa come souvenir pietra lavica dal Vesuvio: beccato turista francese.
"Pasticcio vulcanico" nel Centro Storico di Napoli. Pietra etnea - l'invasione continua
Svelato il destino dei preziosi basoli rubati di via Marina a Napoli. La Polizia locale di Nola ha scoperto come circa duemila basoli della bellissima strada del capoluogo partenopeo siano finiti in una cava piazzollese gestita da un 55enne residente a Napoli poi denunciato.

Three-Headed Hound, 2021

Illustration in Mundus Subterraneus, Athanasius Kircher, 1664.

Nicolò dell'Abate (1510-1571). Preparatory drawing for the Aeneid Frescoes in Scandiano

At a stone shop in Catania I bought certified etnean cobblestones, which I then abandoned on the side of the road, saving the invoice to board the flight to Rome with the rocks I'd brought from Etna and Stromboli.

Voleva portare a casa come souvenir pietra lavica dal Vesuvio: beccato turista francese.

"Pasticcio vulcanico" nel Centro Storico di Napoli. Pietra etnea - l'invasione continua

Svelato il destino dei preziosi basoli rubati di via Marina a Napoli. La Polizia locale di Nola ha scoperto come circa duemila basoli della bellissima strada del capoluogo partenopeo siano finiti in una cava piazzollese gestita da un 55enne residente a Napoli poi denunciato.