 by BETSY MOWRY
Sculptor Aldo Moroni offers an open door to his cluttered, well-used studio in the California Building in Northeast Minneapolis. The walls are covered with maps, historical timelines and research. Speaking with manic enthusiasm, he quickly circles the room and launches into a description about his pinnacle project, Babylon. Simply explained, the piece takes up 160 square feet of space mounted on a three-foot high black platform, much like a model train enthusiasts' landscape gone bad. Blue sand representing waterways flows amongst the array of buildings, structures and rough terrain. Some sites stand individually, while others appear representational, imbedded into a slab of clay.
Aldo points out “archeologically preserved areas” from pastcommunities that have fallen into ruin and been built over. This isn't a stagnant project but organic—an ever changing and evolving facade that clearly depicts the war torn stories of the history of civilization, while eerily reflecting similarities to the current political climate, which is exactly what Moroni intends it to be.
 “My
sculpture combines the concepts of physical, spiritual and metaphysical Babylon
… architecture is a metaphor for humanity, of who we are and what we are—spiritually
and physically. It’s vital for Americans to see that the current war in
Iraq is not a final resolution, but the latest chapter in an ongoing history.”
Best known for his creative, funky renditions of buildings (both known and imaginary),
some might say that Babylon is Moroni's magnum opus—the most renowned
of his work. In the past two years, Moroni has created more than 2,000 miniature
houses, temples, palaces and even the Tower of Babel. Yet, Babylon can hardly
be described as just a sculpture. Rather, it falls into a range of disciplines
including multimedia, storytelling and visual and performing art. The “documentary”
is about creation and destruction, and Moroni conducts the entire process with
passion.
“I believe that it is an important work of art and I am committed to bringing
this piece of art to its culmination,” he says. “I believe I can
make a difference in our current struggle in the Middle East by creating a piece
that enters into the dialogue of significant historic art works. I am doing
it now, right here in the Midwest … This is not a struggle over oil or
money, it is a struggle over the authorship of history and culture.”
And it will create dialogue, especially among those who attend his exhibition
event. Moroni has worked diligently on Babylon’s current phase, only to
carry out its destruction on Sept. 11. He explains how viewers will be seated
in the adjacent gallery and will watch via a large video monitor as he enters
the studio, dons a red cape and mask, and proceeds to stomp and break the buildings
and communities that he has spent so much time creating. He says that the destruction
is necessary to allow the next phase to begin and to reflect history (although,
apparently some of his patrons have been less than happy about the demolition
of their “investments”). The evening will culminate in an authentic
Mesopotamian feast that includes music and dancing.
 Moroni
said he will continue to work on Babylon, further developing it and taking it
on an international tour in 2009. He has been closely documenting the process
and hopes to publish a book on the project. “My next action is to create
an imaginary place,” he explains. "I call this place New Babylon.
I will follow the story all the way through history until my imaginary landscape
becomes a contemporary city, complete with hundreds of skyscrapers, highways
and the stuff of our daily lives.”
“I have covered 9,000 years of history, but I have only just begun.”
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Aldo Moroni's Babylon Project performance takes place Mon. Sept. 11 at 7
p.m. The event is free, but donations are accepted. The California Gallery is
located at 2205 California St. NE, Mpls. Performance at 7:00, Doors open at
5:00 p.m. For more information call 612-245-4574 or visit aldomoroni.com.
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