Structures of Symbiosis: Weaving the Cradlegreen is a two-channel animation installation produced during the Art Volt x Bouclair Residency in Digital arts, from November 2023 to February 2024. The work was exhibited at Galerie B from February 5th to March 17th, 2024.
Statement
Upon closer inspection, many organisms which appear to be a single body are in fact an arrangement of various living beings, from entirely different species. Such is the case for lichen: a multi-organism structure formed from the relationship between species of algae, cyanobacteria and various types of fungus, which together can grow on almost anything and anywhere. Structures of Symbiosis: Weaving the Cradlegreen depicts the speculative evolution of a lichen-creature, which has grown into a complex composite form where various species of lichen and their symbiont components exist both distinctly and as part of a greater whole. Embodying a collective of relationships, Cradlegreen highlights interconnectedness between organic life as a strategy for survival and beyond. By challenging our notions of what constitutes a body and how it can relate to the living beings in its environment, the work positions kinship as a foundation for resilience: a place where new growth can take root.
Street views of the artwork on the screens of Galérie B at Bouclair's Griffintown location in Montreal: