anchor bricola

Alcarol's main action is sectioning. The foundations of Venice consist of thousands of timber poles, driven into the lagoon’s caranto layer – a mixture of solid clay and sand situated at great depths. During their stay in the Laguna, these oak logs are deeply sculpted by Teredo Navalis, shipworms that leaves traces of their passing on the wooden surface producing striking patterns of circular holes, whilst avoiding the inner core of the log, allowing it to maintain its health and strength. This creates a beautiful contrast between outer decay and inner robustness. The assiduous labour of the elements necessitates the replacement and scrapping of the poles, providing an organic material that has traversed by life. For the making of Anchor, Alcarol dove into the waters of the canals of Venice and studied the characteristic environment in which these poles were forged.

The project engages with the idea of submerged cross-section of this extraordinary setting. Alcarol has patented an elaborate craftsmanship capable of filling only the empty spaces of the wood with a transparent resin and capturing the underwater air bubbles that bring the wood back to the original look and conditions. The section planes – through touch, sight and olfaction of different materials – allow to transcend the ordinary perception of a place.

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