Metamorphic rock with mineral foliation and alpine lichens
At the centre of the rock surface, a large pale area emerges, crossed by fine parallel lines that follow the orientation of its minerals. Their arrangement creates a fluid, subtly three-dimensional structure, resembling the ridges of a shell shaped within the stone.
Around it, black, yellow and orange lichens selectively colonize the darker surface, intensifying the contrast with the pale core. Mineral and organic matter form two distinct layers: an ancient structure defined by rock deformation and a living pattern that continues to slowly transform its appearance.
The Bedretto Valley lies along the southern margin of the Gotthard Massif, a crystalline complex of the Central Alps composed of ancient magmatic and metamorphic rocks. Variscan granites occur alongside several units of gneiss, schist and amphibolite, later affected by Alpine deformation and uplift.
Pressure, deformation and erosion progressively exposed the internal structures of the stone. On these open surfaces, lichens now add another layer to its history — living forms spreading across mineral matter and slowly transforming its appearance.
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