Théo Mercier @MONA

Open from February 13, MIRRORSCAPE is a sculpted dystopian landscape created by Théo Mercier for the Mona (Museum of Old and New Art) in Tasmania, using 80 tonnes of compacted sand sourced from the island.

This imaginary landscape was inspired by different dark forces, such as tsunamis, earthquakes, hurricanes, wars, and bulldozers – the powers of destruction. During his time in Tasmania, Mercier investigated and photographed each element, object, and pattern of geological erosion to compose this dramatic scene, giving the feeling that this speculative situation could be grounded there.

In the artwork, there is a strong contrast between the violence of the representation and the softness and fragility of the material. In the collective imagination, sand is tied to childhood and summer memories. But here, the child has become an adult, and today, sand is an endangered material. To build our cities, streets, and houses, the extraction of sand causes the destruction of mountains, the draining of rivers, and the disappearance of islands and coastlines.

As a man-made landscape, MIRRORSCAPE reflects how humanity is building its own destruction and raises the question of “natural disasters” – are natural disasters really “natural”? While calm and stillness meet noise and chaos, an uncanny reconciliation seems to take place in silence. The installation is stretched between prophetic and archaic times – a fossil from the future, the memory of an ancient drama, or a sand prophecy? It is also a giant hourglass. Day after day, month after month, the shapes will erode, the elements will fall apart, and the landscape will disappear. But the sand will remain and follow its own journey.

Dates: Open from February 15, 2025 until February 15, 2026.

Credits:
Artistic direction by Théo Mercier
Curated by Jarrod Rawlins, Olivier Varenne, and Sarah Wallace
Sand sculptors: Kevin Crawford, Enguerrand David, Sue McGrew, and Leonardo Ugolini
Project manager and artistic advisor: Céline Peychet
3D design assistant: Marius Belmeguenai
Special thanks to the amazing technical team at MONA