RADICAL NATURE
I managed to squeeze in a visit to Radical Nature at the Barbican last week before it closed. It was really informative and helpful, enabling me to look afresh at the work I’m developing & generating some new ideas.
I was really interested in the work of Wolf Hilbertz, a German architect & marine scientist. Hilbertz harnessed the process of marine accretion, developing and patenting “Biorock” ®, a sort of extreme limescale it seems to me, which accumulates on a submarine metal framework through which an electric current is passed, to form a concrete-like structure. Work continues to develop artificial coral reefs using this process, but I was particularly interested in Hilbertz’ plans to develop an artificial island in this way.
Amongst others, I also enjoyed Hans Hacke’s work, “Grass Grows”. And a few words from Hans Hacke which seem relevant to me: “…make something which experiences, reacts to its environment, changes, is non-stable… make something inderterminate, which always looks different, the shape of which cannot be predicted precisely…make something which reacts to light and temperature changes, is subject to air currents and depends, in its functioning, on the forces of gravity…articulate something Natural”
