Autotrophic Economy

The proposed works are chosen because of its connection to the subject of Reformulation. In the current state of my research I question the use of technocentric data from radio and visual astronomy, sound and light recordings and the possibilities to include living organisms, humanities and storytelling as resources to reformulate the sun-earth cohabitat in an ecocentric position.

The following projects are part of the objectives of my PhD “An echo of the Sun” at KU Leuven/ LUCA, School of Arts, Ghent. While working on the data archives and tools for mapping the light on the earth, I acknowledge how techno-centric my project is. The projects map how light emittance and distribution affects the earth’s ecosystems and draw a deviation from data visualization and statistics to speculative design of interconnectivity between species and energy flow in an ecosystem.

A project from the listed below can be presented at the CA2RE exhibition as well.

Artwork 1

Picturing Earth's Light

‘Picturing Earths Light’ is a multi-channel installation consisting of customized LED screens displaying a model of all the light data on the earth as an attempt to grasp all the factors involved. The LEDs display a fluctuating number and react according to the changes of the light data in synchron with the video projection.

By mapping the light on the earth we can draw a picture of evolution and how human presence intervenes in that evolution. The result of this extensive observational data inquiry is an installation which uses on-earth and space observations to feed a continuously changing number of light fluctuations. This numeric model is summarized by several observed factors, which play a role in picturing the total amount of visual light on the earth. The rotation of the earth around the sun, the meteorological conditions, air pollution, artificial light, the amount of bioluminesce and how despite their lower visual light emittance, plants as well play an incredible role in the amount of light by reflecting and absorbing light and emitting carbon. The core of the research lies on how a single, vital abiotic factor, as the visual light, can give information about the importance of the symbiotic relations on the planet.

The project challenges science and technological information. In particular, how can the growing body of observation data become a functional tool in art creation? And in that sense: how to objectify the invisible? I reimagine the scientific data as cultural phenomena narrating our perception in machine generated structures, where data maps the evolution of knowledge, intervening in our understandings about the evolution processes in the world and reshaping the visual inputs we receive. This work aims to highlight the critical, fragile current situation on the planet with the customized technology. By mapping and linking the different data I aim to map this urgency. The innovation of the project lies in intersecting the different observational sources which exist in parallel though rarely connected.

The installation is supported by WBI, Belgium and KIKK festival, Namur and will be presented at Scopitone festival, Nantes - 8 - 19, September, 2021 and KIKK festival, November, 20

Autotrophic Economy

part of « An Echo of the Sun » research

2020-2021, video installation and mostly decaying stuff

When we were little, we used to play with grown-ups and shop mud with money - leaves of shrubs and trees, as if we realized their true value. (P.I.)

This project is a sort of speculative documentary about the largest and most important energy producers on the planet - the autotrophs. Unlike many other energy sources, autotrophs are essential for planetary processes and ecological survival. Those living organisms are primary producers of organic matter and oxygen and are the most numerous living organisms on the earth. They feed the heterotrophic organisms who on other hand can’t absorb food from inorganic substances and rely on devouring others. Human survival is largely dependent on the autotrophic organic energy producers.

In the current state of my Ph.D. research on the sun-earth cohabit I look closer into the light-fueled evolution processes. How to redraw ecology through biomass, oxygen production, and pollution in a society of sleep-deprived consumers. Instead of modeling an estimation, volume, or scale of the light using techno-centric data collections, I extend my research with light-harvesting mechanisms in living organisms. The Autotrophic Economy links biosphere processes in relation to solar radiation.

Habitat

Solar light feeds the earth, where a huge number of tiny creatures shape symbiotic ecosystems to produce organic matter. They see with proteins and grow in different shapes, sizes, and colours, reflecting light as they appear to other beings in many hues and shades. There are so many, they can be found everywhere. They float in the water, rise from the soil, climb the rocks, and rest in our lunch boxes.

Light as currency

The light exchange happens in a subconscious territory, where everyone dances. It is a living place where biochemical processes facilitate the feast. In fact, it's a party of autotrophic beings intertwined and stretched towards the nourishing light or circling around the thermal vents in the bottom of the ocean. The most healthy economy of autotrophs on earth contains the most diverse populations than those with homogeneous populations. A danger in the collapse of this economy are factors like earth's climate , geological processes, and human activities.

The ultimate currency of the autotroph economy is the sun and it takes into account the earth’s albedo, anthropocentric activities and energy production and distribution.

Objectives

Speculative text on the autotrophic economy as an example for human driven economies and how to learn from other superior ecosystems about the importance of diversity in our survival.

Installation setup

• Large scale video projector over a screen or a wall (wall+floor)
• Room big with enough distance from the projection and have the objects included.
• Preferably dark space for image contract
• small lights might be added next to the objects to make them visible without disturbing the projection

Artiwork 2.1

Bank of Plants

The project I am submitting for CA2RE+Ljubljana instead of linking astrophysics to biology through light factors, rethinks the economy in the living ecosystems. Small part of “Autotrophic Economy”, named “ Bank of Plants” was presented in a group bio-art exhibition in Sofia, Bulgaria in March.

Here an excerpt of the bank description:

“The Sun is the ultimate currency

Bank of Plants is the furthermost central bank on Earth because its capital consists of the worldwide available resources. Plants are the primal energy producers capable of transforming nonorganic matters into sugars and proteins. Sunlight, air, water and minerals are transformed through photosynthesis in organic matter. The anthropocene is entirely fed and dependent on plants. Dr Natasha Myers calles this intertwined coexistence between plants and humans, a Planthroposcene. Currently The Bank promotes anthropocentric policy.

For example, plants benefit from humans' excess production of CO₂ and humans exist thanks to plants byproduct production of oxygen. Plants are the major food source, a fundamental ingredient in pharmaceuticals, care and beauty products. They produce biomass to fuel ecosystems and human industries. The stability of the world’s economy thrives on the plants’ flourishing and dispersion.

In self-organized ecosystems, we care, enrich and recover all elements involved in order to support a stable economy, not based on excess production and growth but energy flow and sustainability.”

Installation view during Occurrences of Abundance bio-art exhibition at Sofia Arsenal, Museum of Contemporary Art (SAMCA), Sofia 4-28 March, 2021