Rina Treml, who lives and works in North and South Tyrol, studied Architecture as well as Graphic and Communication Design in Innsbruck, Lund and Vienna. With "Terra Preta - Black Diamond", a black cube which is visible from afar, she emphasises the ambivalence and symbiosis between man and nature whilst addressing social criticism at the same time.
"Terra Preta" means black earth and describes one of the most productive anthropogenic, in other words man-made, soils. Made up of charcoal and biochar, fertiliser and compost as well as bones and shards of clay, this type of soil epitomises the blend of the natural with the man-made. To realise this project, Treml hand-cut the damaged wood into small cubes and carbonised their surface with fire as a symbol of transience and new beginnings. Subsequently she assembled the cubes into one big black cube – the only shape that is not naturally to be found on earth.