Luca Gnizio‘s Forsoultree sculpture for reconnecting with nature

What can be done with a centuries-old holm oak tree that has fallen down, most likely in a storm? It can be given new life if it is found by somebody with intuition, drawing on an artist’s creativity. This was the case in Villa San Michele in Fiesole, surrounded by a portion of Monte Ceceri monumental park, on the spot where Leonardo Da Vinci first experimented with his flying machine: two and a half hectares of pristine nature, reclaimed in a conservative restoration project by Frontera Gardens focusing primarily on the pathways in the park.



The company’s management pointed out to the Villa’s managers that the trunk of a big centuries-old tree had fallen in the park. The opportunity inspired an idea of the artist involved, Luca Gnizio, who will be known to our readers as the creator, in 2009, of a new profession of ecosocial artist. Gnizio’s artistic and technical background as an industrial designer and his commitment to protecting the environment have allowed his artworks made from recycled industrial scrap, some of which have been patented, to establish an innovative new trend in art with ecological and social purposes.
The approach is based on the principle of the three „R’s“, reduce - reuse – recycle, which is of course also applicable to natural materials such as a fallen tree. The result is Forsoultree, a project made up of powerful creative acts, in which the trunk is no longer a still life but rises to a new level of beauty, content and significance. 



Luca Gnizio has created delicate little hollows and cavities in the trunk that invite us to go right inside the tree, where its vital lymph once flowed. We can lie down, meditate, and contemplate the view of Florence or the rock wall of the old quarry in Leonardo’s wood. There are in fact two chairs, facing the valley and the hill, while the profound hollow dug into the tree allows visitors, alone or in company, to abandon themselves in the hands of nature, in the womb of the tree.



„Forsoultree is all about beauty and respect, about the fact that nothing really belongs to us on this earth, where we are just passing guests, – explains Luca Gnizio –: by physically going inside the tree, we establish an intimate sensorial dialogue with what remains of our primordial self. This is the true luxury of our times, – concludes the artist, – having the privilege of observing nature, grasping its generosity, its beauty and the infinite opportunities it offers us. Forsoultree takes us into the intimate heart of things, where primitive sensations originate: with our senses awakened by the sounds and smells, we connect with a little bit of eternity“.
The physical artwork welcomes anyone wanting to reconnect with nature, made accessible by the acts of the artist, which create a unique sensory experience and initiate a dialogue with the user. Filmmaker and director Fabio Bastianello made a film for the occasion, telling the story of Luca Gnizio’s creativity for Forsoultree, from the conception to the completion of the work.
The film offers an opportunity to share this creative process with the public, illustrating the various steps involved in the project’s implementation, which took place on a single day in May, right on the site where Forsoultree is now on display.

Christiane Bürklein

Project: Luca Gnizio
Location: Villa San Michele, Fiesole, Italy
Photographer: Alessio Guarino
Filming: Fabio Bastianello - Overall Pictures
Original music: Marco Madia
Production of the sculpture: Frontera Gardens
Year: 2023