Commissioned for the opening of the Fondation, "Where the Slaves Live" is a washed-up fragment of an unknown history, a monumental sculpture located on the west terrace.
Inspired by the building and its natural surroundings, this work, whose title recalls the Latin root of the word “vernacular”, takes the form of a mysterious object that resembles a water tank, a recurring motif in the work of Adrián Villar Rojas. Composed of multiple layers of organic and inorganic materials, this strange cylinder is a "living sculpture" that constantly changes with passing time. Echoing the dialogue between nature and architecture, the piece captures a disturbing yet fascinating sense of mystery. The artist explains: “This work attempts to bring out certain forms and structures by combining organic materials (earth, plants, vegetables, fruit, fish) and manufactured products (a pair of shoes, pigments used to colour the layers). At this stage, man’s efforts encounter the capriciousness of nature, in that every ‘composite object’ or ‘compost’ inserted into the tank suggests a proposition, an expected result and a finished product resulting from its interaction with the environment – which always disrupts the initial undertaking."
