Oltre Terra

Oltre Terra

Nasjonalmuseet, 2023

Oltre Terra is an ongoing investigation conducted by Formafantasma focused on the history, ecology, and global dynamics of the extraction and production of wool. Commissioned by the National Museum of Oslo, and curated by Hanne Eide, the exhibition will open in May 2023.
№ 2.6.6.8 – Photographer unknown, 'Lady Elizabeth', Sydney Sheep Show, 1937, New South Wales, Australia, Powerhouse collection
№ 2.6.6.7 – Photographer unknown, 'Eschol Majestie', Sydney Sheep Show, 1937, New South Wales, Australia, Powerhouse collection
The name of the exhibition stems from the etymology of the word transhumance, formed by the combination of the Latin words trans (across, 'oltre' in Italian) and humus (grounds, 'terra'). 
№ 2.6.6.6 – Formafantasma, seasonal transhumance from Austria to Italy, 2022, Val Senales, South Tyrol, Italy
№ 2.6.6.5 – Formafantasma, seasonal transhumance, 2022, Alagna Valsesia, Piedmont, Italy

The project seeks to avoid the simplistic definition of wool as just a material, and to expand its understanding within a much broader ecology. Wool is the entry point to explore and investigate an intricate realm of interactions and interdependencies within an ecosystem. By looking at the development of wool production, artefacts history and material culture, Oltre Terra aims at unravelling the complexities of the cooperative symbiosis between animals, humans, and the environment.
№ 2.6.6.4 – Wool fibre under the scanning electron microscope at CNR Biella
№ 2.6.6.3 – Wool fibre under the scanning electron microscope at CNR Biella
The scope of the exhibition is to explore this very intimate, yet intricate relationship between humans and animals, in which the boundaries between tamer and domesticated fade. Material culture and biological evolution are too often conceptually separated, which calls for a holistic perspective on the interdependency between production processes and biological evolution.
№ 2.6.6.1 – Formafantasma, Natural History Museum's dioramas, 2022, Museo di Storia Naturale, Milan, Italy
№ 2.6.6.2 – Formafantasma, Natural History Museum's dioramas, 2022, Museo di Storia Naturale, Milan, Italy
Developed as research material, the following interviews were recorded and conducted by Formafantasma to create a constant dialogue with practitioners from various fields of expertise, such as universities, museums, cultural associations and shepherd organisations.
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