A Monument to Misplaced History: Runo Lagomarsino’s ‘Following the Light of the Sun, I Only Discovered the Ground’

Runo Lagomarsino's 2012-2014 work, “Following the Light of the Sun, I Only Discovered the Ground,” isn’t merely a slide projection; it’s an immersive interrogation of colonial narratives and the often-fragile nature of historical monuments. At first glance, the piece presents itself as a documentation of a construction site – a sprawling industrial landscape dominated by a colossal, curving metal structure reminiscent of a disassembled pipe organ. However, this seemingly straightforward observation quickly unravels into a complex meditation on power, displacement, and the deliberate obfuscation of history. The work’s strength lies not in its aesthetic beauty, but in its unsettling juxtaposition of the mundane – workers diligently assembling the monument – with the monumental itself, rendered through a series of faded, almost ghostly images sourced from the archive of the controversial Georgian-Russian artist Zurab Tsereteli.

The Anatomy of Disassembly: Technique and Visual Language

Lagomarsino’s technique is deliberately understated, relying on the inherent power of photographic documentation. The slide projection, utilizing a vintage Kodak carousel projector, creates a sense of both nostalgia and decay. The monochrome palette – predominantly shades of gray – amplifies the work's somber mood, mirroring the fragmented nature of the historical record being presented. Strong, curving lines define the metal structure, contrasting sharply with the more linear forms of the workers and the surrounding equipment. The inclusion of the Russian national anthem, played instrumentally, adds a layer of unsettling irony, highlighting the political context surrounding Tsereteli’s ambitious (and ultimately rejected) monument – intended to celebrate the 500th anniversary of Columbus' voyage to the Americas. The deliberate use of stamps and handwritten notes on the slides further reinforces this sense of archival manipulation and historical revisionism.

Echoes of Colonial Legacies: Symbolism and Context

“Following the Light of the Sun, I Only Discovered the Ground” is deeply rooted in the complex history of colonial heritage in Latin America. Lagomarsino’s work directly engages with the ongoing debates surrounding monuments – their construction, their meaning, and their role in perpetuating or challenging colonial power structures. The fragmented state of Tsereteli's monument—its disassembled parts scattered across a landscape—serves as a potent metaphor for the broken promises and unresolved conflicts inherent in colonial legacies. The inclusion of dates bleached by sunlight – referencing Lagomarsino’s own practice of creating drawings through exposure to light – subtly underscores the ephemeral nature of time and memory, suggesting that history is not fixed but constantly being reinterpreted and reshaped.

Beyond Reproduction: A Reflection on Displacement and Narrative

Ultimately, “Following the Light of the Sun, I Only Discovered the Ground” compels us to confront uncomfortable truths about how we construct our understanding of the past. The work’s deliberate ambiguity—the lack of a definitive narrative—invites viewers to engage in their own critical reflection on the stories we tell ourselves and the monuments we erect to honor them. The final image, a stack of double-sided posters bearing the phrase “For the ghosts and the raving poets,” suggests that history is not simply a collection of facts but also a realm of memory, speculation, and contested interpretations. It’s a powerful reminder that even seemingly objective documentation can be shaped by political agendas and personal biases.