TERRAFORMS
TERRAFORMS at The Lab for The Lab Projects in Miami, FL
Location: The Lab Ideas | Miami, FL, 2006
Media: acrylic, convex lens, LEDs, custom lighting sequence, and electrical hardware
Dimensions: 6 ft x 12 ft x 1 ft
TERRAFORMS is a site-specific art project created for The Lab Projects, in conjunction with lemon sky: projects + editions. It will be exhibited at The Lab, a leading advertising and promotional agency in Miami, Florida.
The title of this project was inspired by the scientific theory and practice of terraforming. This is a process that reshapes a natural environment in order to better support life. Through the use of technology such as irrigation, verdant farms are created in the middle of deserts, and land previously uninhabitable becomes not only fit for settlement, but also fertile for cultivation.
Since my childhood, I’ve been attracted by the abstract visual quality of such landscapes. When traveling by plane, I could always be found glued to a window, astonished by the preciseness of the terraced steps of places such as Machu Picchu, or by the patchwork pattern of the farmland below. The esthetic purity of these manmade vistas stood out in stark contrast to the untouched quality of their environs. As seen from above, the individual circular fields that inspired this project appear incredibly simple, yet they combine to reveal intricate, unique designs. The vastness of these landscapes touched my practical sensibilities; I was astounded by the amount of technology necessary to their creation, and by the desperation and ingenuity of mankind when natural resources are stretched to their absolute limits. These shapes became emblematic humanities struggling for survival.
This work demonstrates how the competition for resources has lead not only to fascinating technological innovations, but also to many of the dire social and political situations in regions such as the Middle East. Terraforms encourages viewers to reflect on the inestimable impact natural environments have had on human history, and underlining fundamental sources of conflict in many sparse outposts of civilization. It compels us to question what is “natural” in allowing a glimpse of the cryptic, but conspicuous, signature we leave on the landscape of our planet.
The Lab is pleased to present Terraforms, a Site-Specific Art Project (sculpture lighting installation). This project has been conceived in conjunction with lemon sky: projects + editions, Miami.
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