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MANCHESTER
made
SS2017
AquAirium
AquAirium was a collaborative exhibition combining marine-biology and the arts exploring our big blue oceans. Submerging the audience into a sensory environment, a creative representation of invasive species and the severe impact it has on local underwater ecosystems. I was commissioned by Paul Miller to create 3D visuals to compliment his auditory recording and visual projections taken from deep sea dives. The interactive space also addresses the impact that the climate, and humans, have made on our planet.
My work takes inspiration from a species of jellyfish called the Aurelia Aurita, that lives in swarms, indigenous, to waters closer to home.
AquAIRium
@ DPL, UOS in association with Manchester Science Festival. 2017
Barrelled in Swarms
Using an invasive material for an invasive species:
Plastic has swarmed our oceans into the brink of mass extinction. I started using plastic in sculpture and textiles as I saw it as an abundant resource. This has bloomed into an investigation on how widely used it is, from domestic single use to commercial industries and industrial environments.
However it is not all doom and gloom, it makes a great material to create some beauty out of the dark. It has this ability to become organic in form when applied with heat and then moulded into shapes that cannot be imitated again. Each jellyfish, inspired by different species, is made from Key-Kegs (Beer barrels) and sourced polyesters that when lit up, transforms from trash to treasure.
‘Rachel’s recycled jellyfish pieces brought the aquAIRium installation to life. Their work was instrumental in achieving the immersive and sensory experience we were aiming for. Not only this but their use of recycled materials perfectly complimented one of our key themes ‘invasive species’ by highlighting, in such a visceral way, how plastic is also an invader of the natural world.’
Stuart Robertson (Researcher)
CREDITS
Paul Miller (Lead Artist/Designer)
