contingency of conservation
From the words we adopt for the language of the Internet (clouds, streams, viruses, bugs) to the imageries of natural wonders we adorn on our screens, contingency of conservation is an investigation into the prevalence of biophilia (the instinctive bond between humans and other living systems) in cyberspace. I am interested in how the simulacra of nature can help ease technology-induced anxiety whilst also harnessing the viral potential of the digital phenomenon to spread and encourage environmental discourse. In doing so I’m hopeful that this can demonstrate a symbiotic relationship between the natural and virtual worlds. The accumulation of GIFs are made from my mobile footages- the urge to record snippets of nature in motion and their consequent immortalisation into infinitely repeated animations reflects the ironic apprehension that one day these might only exist through mediated reality. We are currently witnessing the start of the sixth mass extinction- this could be what the future of conservation looks like. This tumblr blog aims to deliver aesthetic experiences in the form of sharable online content and will serve as a documentation of my personal pursuit of tech-nature balance; each upload is a memory of an occurrence in nature and also the metamorphosis of that occurrence into a digital artifact.
contingency of conservation is inspired by the methodology and principles of sustainability in ephemeral art, which profoundly inspire an ambition to reduce the ecological footprint of my personal art-making process, thus setting the parameter for this project. Aside from my smartphone and laptop, only natural and digital resources will be employed as an exercise to be more connected to where materials come from (and the many manufacturing stages required). For this reason and for the time being, this project can only be realised through virtual platforms.