"In order to probe the ways in which the cosmos and invisible natural forces become manifest on our planet, Leotta has relied
on chemistry. In measuring natural things such as the intensity of the moon, sunlight, heat, the density of salt, the movement of
fireflies, references to belonging remain ubiquitous. In the iconic series Alla Patria (To the Homeland), Leotta layers one side of
perfectly rectangular marble prisms with a cyanotype, a chemical agent sensitive to the intensity of UV rays used since the
earliest experiments in photography. The time during which the works are exposed to sunlight—a whole day or an afternoon—
determine the intensity of the cyan hue on the chemically treated surface. The result is a live sculpture/photograph that
continues to change until Leotta interrupts the chemical reaction. Especially because of the title of the work, which is a
dedication to the Homeland, the tension between nature and nation is once again a determining element in its interpretation.
The work offers empirical evidence of the intensity of sunlight, while suggesting that the specific sunlight captured by the work
is unique to a homeland. Throughout his practice Leotta erodes the geo-political connotation of a homeland turning
progressively towards a definition of belonging through nature."

Sofia Gotti, “Turning nation into Nature”, 2020