Sweet Home

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The sand

Sandblasting
It is the most effective method for preparing metal surfaces, such as steel, before painting or applying a protective layer against corrosion. The sandblasting of Sweet Home serves the passivation of COR-TEN steel. The removal of surface impurities and the oily layer of the sheets with a high-pressure sand jet enables a faster and more uniform oxidation of the components.

For two days, Sweet Home was enclosed in the sandblasting cabin: its surfaces were smoothed with very fine grains of river sand. Gian Pietro Toresani, isolated in his diving suit, the mask filtering the otherwise unbreathable air, the constant noise of the compressor shooting sand at high pressure that remained suspended in the air created a dense atmosphere, and the color of the clothing that surfaced in the fog evoked a dystopian imagery.

The sand used is silica sand, a granular product born from the erosion of riverbeds over time. It consists of small minerals and rounded stone particles, with varying degrees of sphericity due to the smoothing action of river erosion. Silica sand is commonly referred to as "river sand," and perhaps the one used is indeed from the Po River.

The footprints in the sand that has settled on the deck

During the process
Photo © Umberto Cavenago

Gian Pietro Toresani
Photo © Umberto Cavenago

Photo © Umberto Cavenago

Photo © Umberto Cavenago

Gian Pietro Toresani at work