aqua_forensic
Museum of contemporary art, Beograd, Srbija
21 June – 20 September 2021
The project is presented within the contex of the OVERVIEW EFFECT group exhibition.
(Curated by: Blanca de la Torre and Zoran Erić)
The project illuminates the invisible anthropogenic (pharmaceutical) chemical pollutants – residues of human consumption. It is connecting copper pipes and holographic videos, that are showing the moment of the in vitro experiments of microorganisms dying in the 20.000 times weaker solution of pharmaceuticals, than the one average human dose. Its showing what kind of impact we do have towards the water habitats and its life (from micro to macro levels). The pipe system is connecting it all into the immersive environment, where the viewer is intertwined with it and invited to have a look at the modules where the holograms are presented and also to study the artist book.
The book is representing the research of these invisible chemical pollutants (mood controllers, antibiotics, antimycotics, painkillers, hormone pills etc.), that was conducted at a residency in the summer of 2018 in two specific localities: Danube river (Linz, AT) and Adriatic Sea (Dubrovnik, HR).
The vast complexity of the ecosystem that covers more than 70% of the planet, producing over 80% of the atmospheric oxygen, is still mysterious. With pollution we change the oceans inside out – influencing life and behavior of the whole loop of the interconnected ecosystem. Anthropogenic presence is now present in every part of the water habitats.
The question is: How do the oceans feel our impact?
PRESENTED AT
Creatures in a series of tubes on Mozila Hubs, online exhibition, Onassis Cultural Centre / EMAP, 26 November – 20 December 2020
STARTS Prize ’20, Speculating on the Future through Art and Science, BOZAR, Brussels, BE, 25 September – 25 October 2020
Touch me, Living Beings and their Dangerous Liasons / EMAP, Kontejner, Zagreb, HR, 18 September – 3 October 2020
Festival Ars Electronica: In Kepler’s Gardens, online, AT, 9 – 13 September 2020
Vida Futura (Future Life), LABoral Centro de Arte, curator: Karin Ohlenschläger, 3 September – 12 December 2020
Živi objekt. Mestna galerija, Ljubljana, 2 September – 1 November 2020
Oceans 4.0, FACT, Liverpool, UK, 11. – 27 October 2019
osmo/za, Ljubljana, 10 October 2019
Gogbot Festival, Enschnede, NL, 5 – 8 September 2019
WRO Biennale, Wroclaw, PL, 15 My – 28 July 2019
Mirage Festival 7e édition – Turbulences, Lyon, FR, 3 – 7 April 2019
Švicarija, Ljubljana, 28 February 2019
A World Without Us, Impakt, Utrecht, NL, 23 November – 30 December 2018
ERROR – The Art of Imperfection exhibition by Ars Electronica Export, Drive, Berlin, DE, 17 November 2018 – 3 March 2019
Mending the Fabric of the World, Bandits-Mages, Bourges, FR, 15 November – 2 December 2018
Festival Ars Electronica: Error – The Art of Imperfection, Linz, AT, 6 – 10 September 2018
Colophon
Robertina Šebjanič & Gjino Šutić: aqua_forensic, 2018 –
Production:
Ars Electronica within the EMAP/EMARE project, Zavod Projekt Atol, UR Institute and Zavod Sektor
Special thanks to: Miha Godec, Tanja Minarik, Martina Brković, Antonia Merčep, Lovro Martinović, Veronika Liebl, Jessica Galirow, Uroš Veber, Annick Bureaud, team of nature reserve Lokrum, Eleonore team, UR Institute team, Slavko Glamočanin
Co-funded by: Creative Europe Programme of the European Union, The Ministry of Culture of the R. of Slovenia, The Ministry of Culture of the R. of Croatia, The City of Ljubljana, Čistoća Dubrovnik
Bios
Robertina Šebjanič’s work revolves around the biological, chemical, political and cultural realities of aquatic environments and explores humankind’s impact on other species and on the rights of non-human entities, while calling for strategies emphatic towards other species to be adopted. In her analysis of the theoretical framework of the Anthropocene, the artist uses the term ‘aquatocene’ and ‘aquaforming’ to refer to humans’ impact on aquatic environments.
Robertina Šebjanič (SI) based in Ljubljana. Her art – research focus is since several years into cultural, (bio)political, chemical and biological realities of aquatic environments, which serves as a starting point to investigate and tackle the philosophical questions on the intersection of art, technology and science.Her ideas and concepts are often realized in collaboration with others, through interdisciplinary and informal integration in her work. She was awarded with Honorary Mention @Prix Ars Electronica 2016, STARTS2020 and STARTS2016 nomination and nomination for the White Aphroid award. Robertina was SHAPE platform 2017 artist. 2018 she was a resident artist at Ars Electronica (EMARE / EMAP). Her art work Aurelia 1+Hz / proto viva generator (artist proof) is since 2019 part of the the BEEP Electronic Art Collection, Spain.
She exhibited / performed at solo and group exhibitions as well as in galleries and festivals: Ars electronica Linz, Kosmica festival_ Laboratorio Arte Alameda_Mexico City, La Gaîté Lyrique_ Paris, Le Cube_Paris, MONOM_ CTM Berlin, Art Laboratory Berlin, ZKM_Karlsruhe, re:publica_Berlin, Mladi Levi_Ljubljana, Centro de Cultura Digita_ Mexico City, Piksel_Bergen, OSMO/ZA_Ljubljana, Device art 5.015 at Klovičevi dvori_Zagreb, Eastern Bloc_Montreal, Eyebeam_New York, PORTIZMIR#3_ Izmir, Kiblix festival_Maribor, Spektrum_Berlin, KIKK festival_ Namur, +MSUM (Museum of Contemporary Art Metelkova)_Ljubljana and more …
Gjino Šutić is a biotechnologist, post-modern intermedia artist, innovator & educator. He is the founder and director of Universal Research Institute in Zagreb, Croatia, & Gen0 Industries and conducts research in several fields of science (biotechnology, bioelectronics, experimental electronics, ecological engineering) and postmodern new media art (Bio Art, Digital Art, Installation Art, Hybrid Art). The Universal Research Institute was founded to promote free and independent scientific research and development of innovations – championing DIY culture, freedom of knowledge and learning. As an inventor and artist, Gjino believes his early inspiration came from experiencing laboratories in cartoons and Disney films. His work has its roots in DIY biohacking or ‘Biotweaking’, which he defines as the act of improving biological organisms on any level, by available means, to exhibit and use to their full potential.
Gjino Šutić
