PIVOT: Gregorio Vignola and Michelangelo Bove’s Stark Warning on Humanity’s Fragile Relationship with Nature
Italian sculptor Gregorio Vignola creates abstract pieces that give heavy materials such as iron and glass the illusion (and sometimes the ability) of rapid movement. In a collaboration with chair designer Michelangelo Bove he created PIVOT, a time-bound chair that aims to visualize humanity’s impact on the environment. The chair is made of three iron spears that have been tied together with chains. The entire structure sits on a bed of moss and natural rocks, while the chair’s seat is made of a piece of plastic stretched to create a hammock that hangs from the spears.
The chair’s design means that after each use, the chains will lose more of their grip on the spears, eventually completely falling apart. This time-bound chair symbolizes humanity’s exploitation of the planet. The sharp iron spears and chains serve as humankind's innovations and technology, solutions that, though beneficial for humanity, have only exploited and degraded the nature that it stands on.
Just like PIVOT, this state of being has proven too weak against the test of time. Climate change has shown that humanity’s exploitative utilization of nature is collapsing on itself, killing the planet and human life with it, just like how the collapsed chair will mean that the spears would be able to kill anything that it collides with. Hence, PIVOT becomes a rallying cry for people to come together and preserve the planet so that they no longer have to sit on a time-bound chair, waiting for the whole planet they sit on to collapse. This is why PIVOT by Gregorio Vignola and Michelangelo Bove is relevant to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal of Climate Action.
PIVOT by Gregorio Vignola and Michelangelo Bove is a striking commentary on humanity’s exploitation of the environment and the fragility of our planet under the weight of humanity’s actions. The chair’s time-bound nature, with its weakening chains and precarious iron spears, is a powerful metaphor for how unsustainable innovations and unchecked resource use have pushed the Earth toward collapse. Meanwhile, the interplay of industrial materials (iron and steel) with natural elements, such as moss and rocks, highlights the tension between technological progress and environmental degradation.
As the chair inevitably falls apart, the piece mirrors the urgency of climate change and humanity’s need for action. PIVOT serves as both a warning and a call to preserve the planet, urging individuals to step away from destructive practices before irreversible more harm is done. The piece encapsulates the pressing need to transition from exploitation to stewardship, reminding everyone that their collective choices will determine whether humanity will continue to sit on a collapsing foundation or work toward building a sustainable future.
Find out more about PIVOT by Gregorio Vignola and his other pieces on his portfolio or Instagram @l_user__ and Michelangelo Bove on his Instagram @michelangelo_xyz.