Ingrid Bjørnaali, Maria Simmons and Fabian Lanzmaier question the idea of landscapes as sources rather than resources. Eteam examines the architecture of semiconductors and integrated circuits, which express hierarchies. Clara Jo presents a speculative account of maritime and epidemiological movements through ocean space and time. Combining documentary footage shot in Albion and Flat Island, Mauritius, with a fictional layer of animation, “Nests of Basalte, Nests of Wood” is told from the point of view of the bird Paille-en-queue, which has inherited oral tales from its ancestors. Sandra Schäfer films a field in the Lower Rhine region, a forest in Bad Marienberg and a research site on migratory birds, and examines the waves and signals that run through hybrid landscapes, between farm and wasteland.
“Land Bodies, Decomposing Mass” is an audiovisual collaboration together with Maria Simmons and Fabian Lanzmaier, focusing on peatlands and their interpretation through various recording and 3D computing technologies. Through the use of photogrammetry, a technology that relates to satellite mapping and archiving of anthropocentric spaces and monuments, the biotope is interpreted bit by bit in an intimate, close-up interaction. The work explores specific peatlands in Finland, Norway and Canada from various perspectives, decentralizing the human experience and focusing on the idea of natural landscapes as sources as opposed to resources.
The text in the voice over is based on research, myths and field notes from our encounters with peatlands. It is inspired by texts written by Anna Tsing, Karen Barad and Espen Sommer Eide, from the books “Arts of Living on a Damaged Planet” and “Spectres 1: Composing Listening/Composer L’écoute”.
The audio consists of edited field recordings from the physical peatlands as well as sounds produced by synthesizers. The audio is done by Lanzmaier, the voice over by Simmons, text written by Simmons and Bjørnaali, the photogrammetry, animation and editing by Bjørnaali, including some footage captured by Simmons.
Biography
Ingrid Bjørnaali is a multidisciplinary artist based in Oslo who records specific biotopes in various states of their ongoing world-building processes. Her works explore the omnipresence of the digital in our experience of the world as well as the inability of technology to articulate matter’s complexity. Recent exhibitions include Screen City Biennial, Berlin, Fabbrica Del Vapore, Milan, Charles Street Video, Toronto and Contemporary Art Museum of Estonia (EKKM), Tromsø Kunstforening, NITJA Senter for Samtidskunst, Bergen Senter for Elektronisk Kunst, Konstföreningen Åkern (SE), Crawford Art Gallery (Cork, Ireland), Charles Street Video (Toronto, Canada).
Fabian Lanzmaier is a musician and sound artist living in Vienna. In his practice he explores perception and ideas of natural / artificial sounds, fluid and ambiguous environments. He works with real-time audio synthesis utilizing digital/analog physical modeling techniques and feedback networks to explore aspects of texture and structure of sound as well as its presence within space. Recent projects include: Artist in Residency at Wave Farm – NY, composition commission through INA – grm – Paris, AV – Performance at Fridman Gallery – NYC and Artist in Residency at EMS – Stockholm. Maria Simmons is a Canadian symbiontic artist who investigates potentialized environments through the creation of hybrid sculptures and installations. Her work embraces contamination as an act of collaboration. She collects garbage, grows yeast, ferments plants, and nurtures fruit flies. She makes art that eats itself. Recent solo exhibitions include the Visual Art Centre of Clarington, Trinity Square Video, and Centre3.
