Next week, 06/02 to 10/02, we are thrilled to be welcoming JD Whitman back to the JRC as the next artist-in-residence who will continue to research and develop her project on the topic of NaturArchy.
To develop the project Plastic Magnitudes, JD connected to JRC colleagues Andrea Valsesia, Dora Mehn, Jessica Ponti, Marisa Sarria Pereira De Passos and Danijela Brkovic and a colleague at INTPA, Danijela Brkovic. Together they aim to illuminate JRC research on nanoplastic (pNP) digestion by bioindicators and threats to human health as pNP enter the food chain through a community-specific, immersive art installation, as well as other potential creative solutions.
More about the project
Discarded plastic will be collected from the community and used to construct a site-specific, large-scale, enterable plastic inflatable. The inflatable will be built as a series of connected tunnels and caverns - similar in form to an actual digestive system - that viewers will be able to explore. The walls of the inflatable will be projection-mapped with larger than life images and videos of pNP research, surrounding viewers with wonders from the nanoscopic world. This captivating, multisensory experience will place viewers (and their community) at the center of the highlighted pNP research, connecting them directly as contributors to the problem and solution.
Background
JD Whitman is an installation artist, educator, and ocean advocate conducting interdisciplinary research in the United States and Ireland (Instagram: @jdwhitman). Andrea, Dora, Jessica and Marisa work in Unit F.2, researching nanoplastics and bioindicators, while using scanning electron microscopy. Marisa is also part of the NANOPLASTICS project as part of the Centre for Advanced Studies, working on methods and strategies for the widespread detection and environmental monitoring of nanoplastic pollution. Danijela and JD met at the Summer School (link) and Daijela will help ensure that the link between the presented research and current EU policy is accurately translated to viewers.
Details
- Publication date