Robert Aiosa changed the nature of sculpture and architecture, generally viewed as sophisticated and precise, in his exhibition “Ground Work.” It is located in Gallery 1308 in Union South and is an ongoing experiment. Departing from the traditional fabricating method, he began to seek a more plain and prime sculpture form and integrate the alternatives into his works. The exhibition tells a story of the transformation of material exploration and the building process, which also demonstrates his interest in sustainability. The show will run until Nov. 18.

When I first saw the presentation, I was dumbfounded. The whole exhibition consisted of only four works, placed sporadically and casually. People who have been to Gallery 1308 in Union South know the gallery actually is very small and shallow. Normally, the artwork would make the gallery look packed and visitors feel enriched. However, the set up and arrangement of four items significantly expands the length and depth of the gallery, making it look much more spacious and open. The purpose of this special settlement remains unclear, but it gives the space a sense of unfinished sorrow and desolate loss.

The general idea is to challenge the normal perceptions of sculpture and architecture. Basically, what Aiosa was trying to do was to broaden audiences’ understanding of sculpture and provide them with more profound and deeper insights into the medium. All the work is untitled, which seems rare and bizarre. Aiosa may want visitors to interpret the sculpture based on their own understanding and vision.

One of the works is comprised of a pile of bricks and hay representing a corner of architecture. Aiosa handmade each of the bricks with the soil dug up on University of Wisconsin campus and Portland cement. He then added hay and water to shape the mixture. Hay was scattered and cluttered among the bricks in the finished products.

By making the bricks out of soil and hay, Aiosa jumped out of the traditional manner of utilizing material, and stressed the importance and significance of alternative building methods. The utilization of local UW campus soil and his handmade process reflects Aiosa’s value of historical research on indigenous and cultural building methods. Creating sculpture based on conventional methods grants the traditional art form a lasting and dynamic sustainability.

Although Aiosa’s experiment is innovative and meaningful, the set up of the exhibition is a little bit too blasé for the passersby to take interest at first glance. Only after reading the introduction and examining the works can viewers get a full picture of the exhibition and learn something cool.