Monuments to Lateral Knowledge

2026

Presented in Counterpublic 2026, the public art triennial in St. Louis, curated by Nora N. Khan, at the National Building Arts Center (NBAC), Sauget, Illinois. Materials include 3D-printed Missouri red clay, fabric ribbons, copper, and plant-based resin. The work addresses what dominant canons of knowledge leave out. The artist trains LoRA models on datasets he collected, turns selected results into 3D files, and produces ceramic and plant-based resin sculptures. Two large ceramic counter-monuments stand alongside 19th-century architectural artifacts from the NBAC collection; smaller sculptures sit next to the historic artifacts that inspired them. A library intervention extends his Global South Manifest, an archive of books on nature, technology and culture; visitors can browse the books and a digital archive. The project's website, monumentstolateralknowledge.com, was developed by Señal Studio (Diego Trujillo Pisanty and Valentin Jadot). Library curation by Nora N. Khan. https://counterpublic.org/people/sebastian-llovera/

Monuments to Lateral Knowledge, installation view, two tall reddish-brown earth columns on stacked blue plastic pallets in a warehouse among wooden crates, each topped with a copper cage and long colorful ribbons

Monuments to Lateral Knowledge, installation view, a single tall layered earth column on blue pallets in a dim warehouse, copper crown and multicolor ribbons against stacked wooden crates

Monuments to Lateral Knowledge, installation view, close view of a brown clay column with relief patterns and orange, green, pink, and blue ribbons hanging on both sides in a workshop

Monuments to Lateral Knowledge, installation view, a dark textured earth pillar with rainbow ribbons in a warehouse beside stenciled wooden crates

Monuments to Lateral Knowledge, square terracotta relief with ridged topographic surface resting on a weathered wooden ledge against a plain wall

Monuments to Lateral Knowledge, dark glossy square relief of a stylized figure with horizontal print lines, propped on reddish clay bricks against a light wall