Stedelijk Museum exhibits Formafantasma’s Oltre Terra
From February 15 to July 13, 2025, Stedelijk Museum in Asterdam is hosting Oltre Terra by Italian design studio Formafantasma. The exhibition is based on an ongoing research project delving into the history, ecology, and global dynamics of wool extraction and production, exploring its connection to the biological evolution of sheep. Oltre Terra, curated by Amanda Pinatih, showcases materials, objects, and technologies in a multidisciplinary exhibition design, enhancing the viewer’s experience.
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. While domestication has contributed to sheep’s evolution, these animals have, in turn, played a crucial role in human history through the production of wool—blurring the line between tamer and tamed. The exhibition explores the layered connections between humans and sheep, addressing the economic and ethical implications of extracting materials from living creatures.
images by Alessandro Celli, Gregorio Gonella, Ina Wesenberg | courtesy of Formafantasma
Oltre Terra reinterprets natural history museums’ settings
For the setting of Oltre Terra, research-based design studio Formafantasma reinterprets the traditional diorama, commonly used in natural history museums to depict static scenes from nature. Expanding on this concept, the exhibition features seven life-size reproductions of various sheep breeds, including the Dutch Drents Heideschaap, alongside documents, films, byproducts from production processes, and various types of organic matter. By integrating materials, techniques, and representations of living beings, the exhibition challenges conventional boundaries between humans and animals, as well as between products and biological matter. Extensive captions by philosopher Emanuele Coccia provide context, interpreting the interconnectedness of these elements.
transdisciplinary works by artists, evolutionists, shepherds
A central element of the exhibition is ‘Tactile Afferents,’ a video created by artist Joanna Piotrowska and Formafantasma, co-produced by Nasjonalmuseet and Fondazione In Between Art Film. The film explores co-domestication through the sense of touch, presenting it as both a tender expression of interspecies connection and a form of control.
Oltre Terra by Formafantasma also includes a woolen carpet by cc-tapis, woven from four different wool fibers sourced from twelve Italian ‘rustic’ sheep breeds. These coarser fibers, often discarded as low-grade material, are repurposed for applications beyond direct skin contact. Additionally, recycled wool bales by Manteco are integrated into the exhibition’s design. A catalog published by Walther König and designed by Studio Joost Grootens accompanies the exhibition.
