Category: theme-01

Yesenia Thibault Picazo

Future Synthetic Oceanic Crusts

60 years ago, plastic was considered as a miraculous substance that Roland Barthes named the ‘stuff of alchemy’. Nowadays, plastic is central in the vivid environmental debate linked to human activity. The presence of plastics has been confirmed in the most remote and pristine places on Earth, these including the deep-oceans. Plastics are to mark importantly our geological record.

This is where the limits between the nature-made and the human-made blur. We are witnessing the raise of a post-nature since collective human actions and natural forces converge.

Yesenia Thibault Picazo’s design for a monument to the anthropocene is a series of 5 participative devices, figuring 5 miniatures of oceans. Each pieces is located in a different coastal city situated on the path of the ocean currents which form the 5 major gyres.

Inspired by the ‘geo-mimicry’ technology (the science that mimics geological processes), the devices offer a metaphor of the geological process of sedimentation that occurs in the ocean. The interactive  and transformative dimension aim to provoke debate and question the potential of this new synthetic matter.

Through a ritualistic act, the audience is invited to become makers of its own monument. 
Rather than witnessing past facts, this monuments witness the present time and its plausible future in order to raise awareness.

The project stresses the concept of ultimate destruction caused by human activity with a long term co-creation with nature.

Artist Bio

Yesenia Thibault-Picazo is a French multidisciplinary artist and designer based in London. She specializes in creating work that explores the intersections between craft, design, and environmental science. Thibault-Picazo often collaborates with scientists and researchers to investigate the materiality of the natural world and the impact of human activities on the environment. Her practice includes creating objects, installations, and speculative projects that provoke thought about sustainable futures and the relationships between humans and their environment. Thibault-Picazo’s work is characterized by its innovative use of materials and its engagement with ecological themes.

Themes: ruins, waste, technofossils

Category: Artefacts

David Claerbout

The Realtime Disintegration of the Berlin Olympia over the Course of a Thousand Years

A monumental double projection that portrays the gradual ruin of the Berlin Olympiastadion in real-time, devoid of human intervention. The film tirelessly runs day and night, year after year, faithfully mirroring the climatic changes in Berlin, which are downloaded in real-time.

This slow and deliberate act of revenge against the concepts of Empire and architecture seeks to illustrate their power. The urgency in constructing the Stadion, paradoxically sensitive to climatic conditions, adds a layer of complexity to the narrative. The artist’s intention is for viewers to redirect their gaze, devoid of significant events, towards what truly stands grand and monumental: time itself.

The Stadion, initially conceived by architects as a three-dimensional postcard, serves a purpose beyond mere impression. Its design, aimed not just to impress but to overwhelm, imparts a theatrical quality, rendering it a striking subject of composition from any perspective. Claerbout’s virtual photograph seamlessly collaborates with these power dynamics.

The exhibition features two significant projections: the first, an elliptical camera movement around the central arena, and the second, projected on a vertical screen, capturing intricate details, always in real-time. The meticulous programming and construction of the initial 50 years are undertaken by members of Claerbout’s studio, with another studio slated to take over for the ongoing realization of this ambitious and enduring project.

Artist Bio

David Claerbout (born 1969 in Kortrijk, Belgium) is a contemporary artist known for his work in video, photography, and digital media. Claerbout’s practice blurs the lines between still and moving images, often creating pieces that challenge perceptions of time and reality. His work frequently explores themes of memory, history, and the passage of time, using advanced digital techniques to create immersive and contemplative experiences. Claerbout’s installations often feature slow-moving or seemingly static scenes that reveal subtle changes upon closer inspection, encouraging viewers to engage deeply with the work. His innovative approach to visual art has garnered international recognition, with exhibitions in major museums and galleries worldwide.

Themes: ruins, waste, technofossils

human, agency, extinction

extraction, transport, infrastructure

Category: Found Objects

Nicholas Mangan

Nauru International Airport Tarmac, 2014

The Pacific island of Nauru is a parable for the shortcomings of the Anthropocene. 

Nauru was once the richest nation in the world after Saudi Arabia due to the wealth it amassed through strip mining the nutrient rich soil of its island interior. During an age of decadence and mismanagement in the late twentieth century the riches were squandered. Before long Nauru was bankrupt. What remains today is a baron mostly uninhabitable lunar landscape of coral pinnacles. In a desperate bid to keep the island’s economy afloat the Nauruans resorted to other means of economic survival. They are said to have laundered the last of the Soviet Empire through offshore banking operations. It has been claimed they struck a deal with the US to set up a spy station to monitor defecting North Korean nuclear scientists. And since the early twenty-first century they have received income from the Australian Government to detain refugees and asylum seekers attempting to seek refuge on Australia’s shores.  

The Nauru International airport tarmac is sealed with a glimmering surface of crushed prehistoric coral. It is a monument to the anthropocene. 

It is a portal between two dimensions, delineating the zone between the island and the modern world. The tarmac bares the marks of friction caused by shifting ground. In recent years it was believed that the portal would be blocked forever. 

As the economy dwindled during the age of decadence, the small fleet of aircraft that formed the national carrier was sold, leaving the Nauruan’s stranded, sealed off from the outside world; terminally beached. 

Artist Bio

Nicholas Mangan is an Australian contemporary artist known for his interdisciplinary approach, exploring themes of ecology, economics, and human activity’s impact. His work spans sculpture, installation, video, and drawing, often examining the intersections between natural and human-made systems. Mangan represented Australia at the 2015 Venice Biennale and was shortlisted for the Hugo Boss Prize in 2016. His exhibitions, including Art Basel Parcours in 2017 and participation in the Sharjah Biennial in 2019, delve into pressing global issues such as resource exploitation and colonial legacies. In 2020, a major survey of his work titled “Limits to Growth” was presented at the Monash University Museum of Art, showcasing his engagement with environmental change and economic systems.

Themes: ruins, waste, technofossils

human, agency, extinction

extraction, transport, infrastructure

Category: Found Objects