Exhibition — Feb 15 until Jul 13, 2025

Oltre Terra, Formafantasma’s ongoing project and traveling exhibition, explores the history, ecology, and global dynamics of wool extraction and production. It goes further than the simple definition of wool as material, to look at it within a much broader ecology. Wool is the entry point for delving into the intricate interactions and interdependencies within an ecosystem. By looking at the history of sheep domestication, wool production, and material culture, Oltre Terra unravels the complexities of the cooperative symbiosis between animals, humans, and the environment. The exhibition explores this very intimate, yet complex, bond between humans and animals, emphasizing the impact they have on one another.

Concept Oltre Terra

The Italian exhibition title, Oltre Terra, draws from the etymology of "transhumance," combining the Latin trans (across, “oltre” in Italian) and humus (ground, “terra” in Italian). Transhumance describes the seasonal movement of livestock between grazing areas. Similarly, the idea of "crossing grounds" reflects the exhibition's transdisciplinary approach, developed through collaborations with designers, artists, anthropologists, evolutionists, legal experts, curators, shepherds, and farmers.

RELATIONSHIP SHEEP AND HUMAN

While humans have shaped sheep through domestication, sheep have significantly influenced human history by providing wool – the boundaries between tamer and tamed are still constantly shifting. The exhibition examines the layered connections between humans and sheep, addressing the economic and ethical implications of extracting materials from living creatures.

Image of sheep in green bush by Formafantasma

About the exhibition

The setting of Oltre Terra offers a critical reimagining of the traditional diorama, often used in natural history museums to depict static scenes from nature. In this case, the diorama is expanded, featuring seven life-size reproductions of different sheep breeds, including the Dutch Drents Heideschaap, along with documents, films, byproducts from production processes, and various types of organic matter. By presenting materials, techniques, and living creatures together, the exhibition challenges current divisions between humans and animals, and between products and biological matter. Extensive captions, written by philosopher Emanuele Coccia, interpret these diverse materials and their interconnectedness.

image of exhibition, in the foreground a sheep sculpture and in the background a video screen of sheep

Multidisciplinary key works

At the heart of the exhibition is the video Tactile Afferents, created by artist Joanna Piotrowska and Formafantasma, co-produced by Nasjonalmuseet and Fondazione In Between Art Film. The film takes a unique approach to the exhibition’s themes, focusing on the sense of touch to explore co-domestication. It presents this concept both as an expression of interspecies tenderness and love, and as a form of violence. Oltre Terra also features a woolen carpet by cc-tapis, made from four different wool fibers sourced from twelve “rustic” Italian sheep breeds. Often discarded as low-grade material, these coarser fibers can still be used in products that are not in direct contact with the skin. Additionally, recycled wool bales by Manteco play a key role in the exhibition’s design

Formafantasma – Oltre Terra

15 Feb t/m 13 Jul 2025
For more information, read the full press release here.

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CREDITS

The exhibition Formafantasma – Oltre Terra is organized by the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam and is curated by Amanda Pinatih.
Oltre Terra was originally commissioned by the National Museum of Oslo and curated by Hanne Eide (May 26 to October 1, 2023).

Image 1: Formafantasma, 'seasonal transhumance', 2022, Alagna Valsesia, Piedmont, Italië © Formafantasma. Photo: Gregorio Gonella
Image 2: Zaaloverzicht, Formafantasma — Oltre Terra. Why Wool Matters, National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design, Oslo, 2023. Photo: Gregorio Gonella.