Ocean paintings

2020-2021
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Beeing unable to work on a participatory basis or made any field research trip, during the pandemic I concentrated on my painting practice. The works presented here reflect on the interrelationship between humans and marin ecosystems, especially with corals.

Despite their humble appearance, corals are a fundamental element of oceanic welfare, and therefore, of the whole planet. Although they only cover 0.1% of the oceanic area, they are home and refuge for 25% of the marine species. At the moment, the corals are threatened by climate change, ocean acidification and unsustainable fishing practices. If there are no changes, experts predict its extinction in 2050.

Given this alarming deterioration situation, in many parts of the world a coral gardening process has been started to replace the reefs. Although they could become one possible remedy to the coral crisis, there are still many open questions about the long-term outcome of these new crops. The series of paintings Nurseries, are inspired by this current restoration practice. Despite being full of vibrant colors, those paintings build non-organic, clearly artificial constructions. They are hybrid landscapes which remind us that even after the best recovery efforts, the damage we have done on the planet has left an indelible mark.

My research about marin ecosystems will soon be continued with the collaboration with marin biologists and coastal communities in a participatory project about kelp forests in Galicia (Nordwest Spain). Stay tuned!