Interstitial Alchemy presents an experiment on practice-based artistic research, that speculates on the healing of aquatic ecosystems, through a process of transmutation of micro pollutants.
In ancient times practitioners of alchemy sought the transmutation of matter and the production of panaceas, in a time when art, science, and mysticism belonged to the same realm. Although alchemy’s claims have been disproved by science, we acknowledge its influence on the development of scientific methods. Through speculative and ‘magical’ practices and narratives, alchemists dreamed of science for the future.
In this installation the 'transmutation' of matter is mediated by a set of objects made from Zeolite clay and concrete composites. Zeolites possess a cage-like molecular structure that enables the selective ‘trapping’ of pollutants and toxins. The work explores how an intervention on interstitial microscales can affect broader ecosystems and territories. The objects presented test the production of porous microspaces at different small scales that could contribute to a transformation in the composition of water, aditionally addresing environmental issues such as lack of shelter for biodiversity and riverbed erosion.
In the last years scientists have demonstrated that ecological variability at small spatial scales—often less than a square meter — can have very significant consequences in larger territories. Could we perform micro interventions that produce relevant transformations, potentially independent from political and economic forces? Can interstitial spaces be opportunities to introduce alternative narratives?
Curator: Mz. Balthazar's Lab
Opening: 1st september 2023
https://www.mzbaltazarslaboratory.org/event/exhibition-interstitial-alchemy-by-catarina-reis/
