Microcosms
Miniature worlds surround us;
Vast but often microscopic ecosystems filled with complex and delicate relationships.
Microcosms was created on site in Korpo, Finland. I lived for one month on the island in the AARC residency program preparing my sculptures, which were inspired by the lichen and moss growing in the forests of the island. The sculptures were installed in the forest which inspired them for the annual summer environmental art exhibit Barfotastigen / Paljasjalkapolku / Barefoot Path.
Detail of a Microcosm
The closer we look at the world the more we see. The complexities of life are infinite. On one small rock we find complex relationships and communities. Lichen are made up of a fungus, usually an ascomycete, that grows symbiotically with an alga or a cyanobacterium. Only recently scientists have found that yeasts create a third partner in this complex relationship.
Detail of a Microcosm is set on one of rock mounds which inspired it. As the viewer approaches they trigger a motion detector and the sculpture begins to grow, coming alive. After a few minutes the sculpture slowly deflates and disappears into the rocks.
