Altherio - Martin Sati

Two Figures: Tamer and Beast
A study in constructing two figures from a single structure of interlocking parts.

Altherio is made up of a set of parts that form a recognisable figure when brought into relation with one another. The structure does not represent a fixed identity: one of its parts can be exchanged, shifting the figure from tamer to beast.

Most of the composition remains intact. However, replacing a single part alters the relationship between the others and reorganises how the whole is perceived. What we recognised as the tamer becomes the beast, even though both figures share virtually the same forms.

The tamer and the beast are not contained separately within any one of the parts. They emerge from the order those parts adopt and the way we interpret them. The figure’s identity is therefore relational and provisional: it does not depend on a fixed essence, but on a particular arrangement that can be altered.

The piece is constructed from assembled and painted carbon steel plates, with additional gold leaf details. The system incorporates interchangeable plates that allow the two figures to be created. Its dimensions are adapted to its intended location, allowing the work to be integrated into its surroundings.