proxidium

Highly polluting and hazardous materials have been buried in various parts of Italy in recent decades. Agricultural soils, as a result of the landfills, are found to be seriously contaminated with harmful substances. Some of them detected up to values of 6000% of the prescribed limit. Prominent among the substances found in soils is proxidium. It is an element that can cause irreversible damage even to humans, especially to the lower limbs and eyesight. A recent investigation has unveiled the damage caused by proxidium; in fact, a study initiated in the 1990s by an anonymous Italian doctor has been brought to light.

Proxidium is a journey between nature and science, in which disarming images open to an unknown and at times perturbing world. A mock pop-tinged investigation becomes a metaphor for the contradictions of our time, dealing with issues ranging from problems related to pollution to the relentless pursuit of success and popularity. 
The substance at the center of the quest is never seen, and its effects are rarely glimpsed. Instead, what emerges is the bursting personality of its researcher. The doctor-hero, an ambiguous character with countless personalities, is always looking at the viewer. He even lifts a newly amputated limb and shows it to the audience as a trophy. He thus becomes a spokesman for the narcissism and taste for the horrific that characterize many aspects of contemporary society. A character with condemnable political views, he cannot but end his journey dramatically; a martyr for success, he is killed by his own desire for popularity.