Group Exhibtion
ANDREA GARCIA VASQUEZ I VALENTINA PLANK I FRANZISKA REINBOTHE
Galerie Laetitia Gorsy - She BAM!
presents a selection of works of Franziska Reinbothe, Andrea Garcia Vasquez and Valentina Plank. Each artist explores the relationship between humans and the environment in her own way, using traditional and contemporary artistic methods to visualise and question complex issues like environement, ecology, formalism, materiality and identity.
For more information on the artists, works, and space visit: SheBAM!
KubaParis
"Synthesize Sympathize: A Sphere of Breath and A Detached Disposition"
Wool, synthetic yarns, glass, recycled DDR chemistry equipment, Aluminium, 3D printed Porcelain, Broken iPhone8, water pumps, water, rubber tubes, Grapefruit essential oil aromas
Dimensions Vary
2024
"Synthesize Sympathize: A Sphere of Breath and A Detached Disposition" is a continuation of the work "Synthesize Sympathize Synthesize Sympathize Synthesize Sympathize - are we really staying as long as the sun shines?". The project originated as an exchange in 2023 during my time at the Kuenstlerische Tatsachen Art & Science Residency in Jena. The works revolves around the chemistry that is contributing to the advancements of synthetic photosynthesis done by Cata Light and University Jena.LINK TO CATA LIGHT AG PENEVA GROUP
Synthetic Photosynthesis is a technology that will assist plants in the urgent and essential task cleaning of CO2 out of the Earth’s atmosphere. Systems of water, light, sugars, and chemical compounds are used to research, study, and construct what is needed for synthetic or natural photosynsthesis.
The work I created with the help of Catalight and University Jena depicts a deconstruction of ecological systems using man made tools to depict a synthetic environment. The installation "Synthesize Sympathize: A Sphere of Breath and A Detached Disposition" plays with the symbolisms that construct western ideas of paradise, wildness, or Nature. The elements in this installation work together to pull apart functionality in nature-culture today; such as aluminum leaves, grapefruit essential oils, porcelain 3D printed bouldering holds, a Sun Umbrella made of UV light prisms, go-pro flexible trip-pods a dysfunctional crochet hammock.
Is “natural” synonymous with human intervention? Humans are a part of nature after all. Every version of technology, from stone age to microplastics, is as much part of the environment as the grass and insects that preexisted human inventions. Yet, human interventions on the land and ecosystem, exploitation of natural resources, and lack of sustainable infrastructures has resulted in desperately needing more human intervention to help repair what damage has been done to the eco-system.
When I look at nature-culture today: Vacation destinations, the trends of traveling to spaces to be “one with” Nature along with everyone else who has the same idea, travel influencers, urban planning, Virtical Line cities in the desert, virtual reality... what is a “real” landscape anymore anyways?
Think about your front and backyard or the park you go to down the street. Think about National Parks and the cost one must pay to see a landscape that is “untouched”. And on your visit expect traffic jams, drones, selfie sticks, and liter along your path. Think about countries and places that offer beautiful resorts built within impoverished communities where unjust systems profit off the suffering of natives who can not enjoy or use their home due to tourism. Think about the cities and regions that were bombed or pillaged in order to belong to someone else. “Nature”. As long as humans have existed within them, environments have perpetually been curated, constructed, and commodified throughout history.
The installation includes a short autobiographical film “A Breath In The World” where spiritualism, science, and a tropical resort come together. The video plays from a damaged iPhone inconspicuously placed in the crochet sculpture. The film uses 3D animations from blender, old found family VHS tapes (specifically a family vacation to Puerto Rico in 1998), and an audio recording from a psychic reading I had in 2011. A younger version of myself can be heard “Daddy there was gum on my foot when I was walking down by the sand” as a crowd of people cram into a natural pool at Catarata la Mina in Puerto Rico.
Am I depressed or do I just need beach, palms, and a hammock for a weekend?
Synthetic Photosynthesis is a technology that will assist plants in the urgent and essential task cleaning of CO2 out of the Earth’s atmosphere. Systems of water, light, sugars, and chemical compounds are used to research, study, and construct what is needed for synthetic or natural photosynsthesis.
The work I created with the help of Catalight and University Jena depicts a deconstruction of ecological systems using man made tools to depict a synthetic environment. The installation "Synthesize Sympathize: A Sphere of Breath and A Detached Disposition" plays with the symbolisms that construct western ideas of paradise, wildness, or Nature. The elements in this installation work together to pull apart functionality in nature-culture today; such as aluminum leaves, grapefruit essential oils, porcelain 3D printed bouldering holds, a Sun Umbrella made of UV light prisms, go-pro flexible trip-pods a dysfunctional crochet hammock.
Is “natural” synonymous with human intervention? Humans are a part of nature after all. Every version of technology, from stone age to microplastics, is as much part of the environment as the grass and insects that preexisted human inventions. Yet, human interventions on the land and ecosystem, exploitation of natural resources, and lack of sustainable infrastructures has resulted in desperately needing more human intervention to help repair what damage has been done to the eco-system.
When I look at nature-culture today: Vacation destinations, the trends of traveling to spaces to be “one with” Nature along with everyone else who has the same idea, travel influencers, urban planning, Virtical Line cities in the desert, virtual reality... what is a “real” landscape anymore anyways?
Think about your front and backyard or the park you go to down the street. Think about National Parks and the cost one must pay to see a landscape that is “untouched”. And on your visit expect traffic jams, drones, selfie sticks, and liter along your path. Think about countries and places that offer beautiful resorts built within impoverished communities where unjust systems profit off the suffering of natives who can not enjoy or use their home due to tourism. Think about the cities and regions that were bombed or pillaged in order to belong to someone else. “Nature”. As long as humans have existed within them, environments have perpetually been curated, constructed, and commodified throughout history.
The installation includes a short autobiographical film “A Breath In The World” where spiritualism, science, and a tropical resort come together. The video plays from a damaged iPhone inconspicuously placed in the crochet sculpture. The film uses 3D animations from blender, old found family VHS tapes (specifically a family vacation to Puerto Rico in 1998), and an audio recording from a psychic reading I had in 2011. A younger version of myself can be heard “Daddy there was gum on my foot when I was walking down by the sand” as a crowd of people cram into a natural pool at Catarata la Mina in Puerto Rico.
Am I depressed or do I just need beach, palms, and a hammock for a weekend?
“A Breath In The World”
https://vimeo.com/921925314
2024
00:05:00 loop
Single Channel with Audio
Video Sources: Family vacation video Puerto Rico 2000, iPhone 7, Blender animation by artist
Audio / Text Sources: Psychic Reading from New Jersey 2011, family home videos, "La Noche De Tu Partida" by Enrique Rivas, "The Life of Plants" by Emanuele Coccia