From a macro to a micro landscape. The plants have a different time comparing to ours and our relation with the nature goes in many different ways. For example, we can approach it in different angles, from its history, colour, inter-relations with its surroundings, taste, form, etc. In one of the plant-communication angle, scientist Monica Gagliano (Research Associate Professor in Evolutionary Ecology, & Senior Research Fellow at the Biological Intelligence (BI) Lab, University of Sydney) through scientific methods is establishing a communication with plants (which means the plant has a sort of ‘intelligence’). At the same time the plants are the main food source that we humans and other specimens have, and also becomes a ‘material’ explored further in the bio-design industry.
Cubos, 2003
10 x 10 x 10 cm
moss, charcoal, wood
Since living in Rio other life forms have always called my attention. Specially plants, that has so interesting forms and textures. During my BA in sculpture at UFRJ I started to look at nature as a transformative element, which has its own timing, behaviour and different interrelations amongst other living organisms and the environment/landscape where it is. In parallel to the BA I participated in the This research of the landscape is a continuation with the collective group GEMA (the experimental autonomous multidisciplinary research group focused in the natural and urban environment, the change of the landscape through the time due to human activities) a research into I came to the Netherlands in 2009 I started a research in green spaces in Holland with a specific interest in plants and their behaviour. Very different from the tropical forest that I grew up with, I could find simulacrums of non-human landscapes within the artificiality found in many botanical gardens, automated green houses and farms. I’ve deepened the research with plants in a broader aspect: nature x culture, nature = culture, their interrelations with another living organisms and their metabolism.
[[[[Video – documentation: performance Bird Composition for Zuidpark , winter 2010 (The Hague/NL).]]]]
Some questions came across the research, concerned about unbalanced evolutionary vectors of nature and technology and the dependency of technological advancement to use processed organic matter, which leads to a change in the environment and decay of biodiversity. How we can have a better living with our environment instead of killing it using the technology we have nowadays? A very possible step for nature is engineering, creating a self controlled environment and recycle the resources.
Plants and Politics.
The Mata Atlantica forest was destroyed by the uncontrolled growth of the cities and for dacades Amazonia is also in danger. There are several multi-national companies in Amazonia: a cycle of destruction that starts killing the trees of the forest for agronomy, cattle raising, scientific researches, trafficking of plants, and so on. It is estimated that 15% of the Amazon has been deforested.
There is also a discussion about the internationalization of Amazonia forest which is a political aspect. A dispute of territory is going on and how an artistic practice can make a thought about this relevant issue.
“…better means of preserving, transporting, displaying, and documenting specimens; …” PRATT, Mary Louise, Imperial Eyes – Travel Writing and Transculturalization, p.28/29
The research about organic resources started with professor Bert van Duijn, from the Biology University in Leiden in 2010, while measuring plant’s action potential .