Genaro Strobel’s artworks are currently on at Hessisches Landesmuseum Darmstadt

The Messel Pit is depicted on these three large-scale single-print wood engravings. One can recognize the tree branches, leaves, and grass as well as the recurring image of a pump, which is constantly developing water from the pit to protect the fossils. Furthermore, the wooden structure superimposes many motives on the engravings. The scale and the multi-layer appearance of Strobel’s engravings are reminiscent of the ample areal of Messel Pit as well as of the numerous layers of oil shale, which hide many thousands years of natural history. In 2018, Genaro Strobel was awarded the Charlotte-Prinz-Fellowship. Therefore, he could live and work in Darmstadt for two years. While in Darmstadt, the artist also explored the Messel Pit with his camera. He prepared the images digitally to execute them as gigantic wood engravings. After words, Strobel engraved the motives onto wood plates with laser and eventually printed them with a large-scale press on paper.