Hollow Ground

2020
Dimensions: 48ft x 52ft x 18.6ft
Materials: Recycled foam & ploy fiber, eco resin, paint, steel, and dissolving permafrost
Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, North Adams, MA

In 2019, De St. Croix visited Utqiagvik, Alaska, to observe the dissolving permafrost as a result of climate change. Using the language of model-making, theater, and special effects, he combines recycled Styrofoam with eco-resins and other earth-friendly materials to model the surface of Hollow Ground. When below the work, we see gaping holes referencing the thawing soil. From the gallery’s upper balcony vantage points, the top of the sculpture becomes visible — an austere icy plane. These multiple vantage points, impossible in reality, allow De St. Croix to use art as a tool to interpret and extrapolate his first-hand experience of the landscape, and in turn, give viewers a glimpse into the future.