Laura de Mitri: Albero della conoscenza

In her series of digital collages, the artist presents black-and-white photographs of diseased and defoliated olive trees against skies added later. Using a technique of her own devising, she creates her sky scenes by reworking slide projections with brush and paint. Analogue and digital possibilities enter into a painterly union, ironically complemented by depictions of angels from Giotto‘s paintings and frescoes. The tree of knowledge is an ancient biblical image. Adam and Eve were forbidden to eat from it. They did so anyway, were banished, and subjugated the earth. The result is devastating, and it remains doubtful whether the complete destruction of the blue planet can still be stopped. In Salento, as in other southern European regions, the tradition of cultivating and using olive trees dates back to the Trecento period and beyond. International maritime trade and a bacterium called Xylella fastidiosa are the reason why olive trees in the heel of Italy are now becoming diseased and dying. The deep connection between the people and the trees has made it impossible to prevent the epidemic spread of the infestation.