The concept behind the work originates from the profound process of composting, where everything bestowed upon us by Mother Nature is an integral part of her own essence. This invaluable gift ought to be cherished and utilized judiciously until its eventual return. Entitled “Artist is Composted,” the work symbolically explores the composting of the artist’s identity and role in the 21st century through a metaphorical lens.
The piece takes the form of a glass object containing materials and food remnants that I personally used within a 24-hour period. Composting materials employed include biodegradable soil/humus, vegetable husks, fruits, straw, and coffee grounds. In conjunction with additional bacterial cellulose material, I collect and compost these organic waste items. By introducing my own saliva, obtained through a swab, and transferring my bacteria to the pulp, a healthy culture is nurtured. The process fuses the composting of natural materials with my DNA, giving rise to a new cycle of micro-life that cyclically evolves.
In terms of interactivity, the object necessitates a 24-hour treatment period. This phase of compromise and presentation came to fruition during a period of self-isolation, spanning from March to April 2020, coinciding with the global outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing state of emergency. It is within this unique context that the artwork emerged, embodying the profound significance of our interconnectedness with the natural world.
The presentation of the organic object titled „Artist is composted” in the Contemporary Gallery of Zrenjanin is in a constant open phase, which is given the specific importance of local biodiversity – the nature of the environment. Due to the situation with the corona virus, the 65th convocation of the art colony Ečka realized a meeting in the form of a one-day boat excursion on the river Bega. The living object will be “fed-dosed” with new micro-lives of Bega during the setting of the exhibition Picture 2020, and the whole work will get a new hybrid content and visual form through the process of nutrition.
