CEU Proposal "Home is a Verb" ​
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Artist: Rodrigo Cacho
Year: 2025-2026
Medium: Cast bronze sculpture
Dimensions: 4 m (height) × 2 m (span) × 1.2 m (depth)
Weight: Approx. 1,200–1,400 kg
Location: Central European University, Vienna
Description
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What does it mean to have a place to come back to? Not just a physical space, but the feeling that something waits for you, that you belong somewhere, even when the world is chaos.
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The sculpture shows a dry tree with a nest holding three eggs. Both are cast in bronze, four meters tall, carved into the tree we can read the words "home is a verb". Birds don’t build forever. Their nests are temporary, destroyed by weather, predators, or time. They move, adapt, migrate and rebuild. That acceptance of impermanence always struck me, I admire and celebrate adaptation but the thought of the need for it also hurts.
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In this work, that story is reversed. The nest and the tree are made to stay. Bronze resists the elements, it turns something fragile into something that's not. For me, it’s about trying to hold onto what feels at risk, the sense of home, of safety, of belonging while everything around it keeps shifting.
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I made this piece thinking about how politics, gentrification and violence can make “home” feel temporary. "Home is a verb" is my way of pushing back against that, of making a promise out of something the world says won’t last. A bronze nest that won’t blow away. Inspired by CEU's history as well as my own.
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​Materials and Finish:
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Tree, nest, and eggs cast entirely in bronze using the lost-wax process
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Internal stainless-steel armature running through trunk and main branch for structural stability
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Surface patinas: dark brown/black for trunk and nest, lighter satin bronze for eggs
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Protective microcrystalline wax and UV-resistant coating applied for outdoor durability
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Fabrication Process:
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A real fallen tree will be 3-D scanned and section-molded to preserve natural bark texture.
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Wax positives will be assembled and detailed manually, including a hand-woven wax nest.
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All components will be cast in foundry bronze, welded, chased, and patinated.
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Internal stainless-steel rods and base plate integrated before final finishing.
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Installation Method:
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Anchored to a reinforced concrete footing (approx. 1 × 1 × 1 m) hidden below grade
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Bronze trunk welded to an embedded stainless-steel base plate with concealed bolts
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No visible pedestal; sculpture appears rooted directly in the ground
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Optional drainage channel and lightning protection integrated into the structure
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Dimensions:
4 m (height) × 2 m (maximum span) × 1.2 m (depth)
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Weight (approx.):
1.2 – 1.4 metric tons
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Safety & Accessibility:
Non-climbable form, rounded lower edges, and no moving parts.
All materials meet European public-art durability and safety standards.
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Maintenance:
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Optional re-application of microcrystalline wax every 5–6 years
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No moving parts; designed for minimal upkeep under outdoor conditions
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Patina expected to evolve naturally with time, deepening the visual character
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Expected Lifespan:
Over 100 years in exterior conditions with standard conservation care
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Fabrication & Timeline:
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3 months modeling and mold production
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4 months foundry casting and finishing
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1 month transport and installation
Total: ≈ 8 months from contract approval
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Estimated Budget Range:
€70 000 – €85 000 (all inclusive: design, fabrication, transport, and installation)
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