Interactive installation in space 2020. – Soil/hummus, swab tubes
Globally, we are confronted with significant environmental pollution, the prevalence of GMO seeds, and the pervasive issue of plastic pollution, all of which have profound effects on our precious natural resources such as water, soil, and air. The choices we make regarding our daily consumption play a defining role in shaping our character and overall well-being. In my artistic practice, I harness the transformative power of “SCOBY” (Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast), a substance derived from the fermentation of black tea, to visually depict the current state of our environment. Through deliberate interventions and interactions involving bacteria and various tools, I engage in a profound dialogue with nature itself. Throughout the experimental process of cultivating SCOBY, organic materials take center stage, permeating the work and imbuing it with a distinctive aesthetic quality.
The project “Compost Me” encompasses an interactive installation situated within a spatial environment, whether it be an open or closed setting. Engaging with the installation, visitors were provided with clean and disinfected saliva swab tubes to collect samples of their own saliva, subsequently depositing these tubes into the installation, specifically into the ground. These accumulated swabs, intended for further development of the work, unfortunately faced postponement due to the ongoing pandemic.
Originally envisioned as a traveling interactive installation, the collection of diverse swab samples from different individuals formed a unified assemblage conveying the profound message of “We are one.” By magnifying a portion of human bacteria and establishing a precise relationship between humanity and the natural world, I employed organic materials, namely “clamps,” to merge the audience’s collected samples with the cultivated natural culture of bacteria. The culmination of this collaborative endeavor materialized in the form of a light box within the “Biophilia” series, aptly titled “We Are One.”
The primary objective behind this undertaking was to foster a collective creation by amassing and selecting numerous saliva samples from various locations, encompassing different states, nationalities, and beyond. In doing so, the boundaries that traditionally separate us as human beings were purposefully blurred. Originally conceived as “Compost Me,” the project gradually evolved into “We Are One,” thereby exemplifying my artistic approach, wherein I advocate for a renewed connection with nature and seek to encourage the audience to reconsider their future actions in pursuit of a better and more sustainable world.
Performance – Installation> International group exhibition in collaboration with “The Tropen collective” who were guests of the residency program Risk Change – Museum of Contemporary Art of Vojvodina, Novi Sad, Serbia. (Photography: Ivan Syrov)
Drawings
COMPOST ME , Mixed media, 35 x 25cm, 07- 01.04.2020.
The series of drawings were realised during the the state of emergency, when the epidemic of COVID-19 occurred World-wide. The making of the drawings from the series „Compost me” have started on April 1st, known as „Aprils fools day” as a Diary project, while the national Crisis headquarters were live broadcasted on national telvision. After a week of regular listening and working , the planned diary series have been stopped…
Exhibition After lockdown at the Gallery NOVEMBAR. (Photography: Marijana Janković)
