In my research, I use photography to collect the primary elements, needed later in order to develop my work. The juxtaposition of these images makes up a sort of memory/archive which I then draw on to give shape to each work. The Upshot is a series of installations in which photography blends with sculpture
 to investigate different kinds of topics. In the work on show, small-scale copies of six volcanoes active in Italy are created through the crafting of blocks of soap, a material destined to deteriorate slowly. The foam, which recalls volcanic activity, is instead modelled into the same shapes
 and photographed: while the subject dissolves in a few moments, its image may last for a theoretically endless time span. On these occasion the project
 has been enriched with a further level.
 I tried to artificially reproduce the effect of concealment that volcanic ash
 has on every surface that it settles on.
 It is a powerfully democratic agent: without making any kind of distinctions, the ash covers up all colours and unifies surfaces, making objects and landscapes all look
 the same. The destructive force 
of the volcano goes hand in hand with its capacity to generate new shapes and images.
Paola Pasquaretta