Horizontal Landfill

Trinidad Epuré, Multiplex, Hardboard, 45x75x4 cm, 2025, (MO-ART Gallery)

Natural asphalt is among the oldest materials used by humans, comparable to clay in its early availability and application. Occurring naturally in various regions worldwide, this oil based residue could be heated and employed in a wide range of practices. It was used by Neanderthals as an adhesive for attaching spearheads and is referenced several times in the Bible. It played a central role as a construction material, glue, and boat sealant in ancient Mesopotamia. Natural asphalt accompanied humans from the emergence of the earliest urban cultures. Today, asphalt is largely perceived as industrialised, toxic, and artificial. The edition Horizontal Landfill examines this shifted relationship between humans and asphalt, recalling the foundational role of a material that has become largely disregarded. The cast plates are made entirely from natural asphalt, reasserting its historical continuity.

The motorcycle emerges as a contemporary counterpart to these historical uses, embodying a functional, utilitarian reading of the material and its enduring role in shaping modern environments.