Raíces, Installation in RotwangHaus, Berlin, 2019

(Variable dimensions)

The word Raíz (root) comes from the Latin "radix" which means "origin and beginning".

The concept can be seen as a metaphor for our behaviour in relation to nature, which is characterized by exploitation for our benefit. The fact that we cannot talk to a tree does not mean that it does not have its own being or language.

For too long we have demanded growth only for us humans, while forcing the organic and inorganic world to grow with us and the increasing rhythm of our consumption.

A peaceful coexistence with nature is inconceivable as long as we do not let it grow. To let it grow without taking advantage of it means to perceive and recognize the natural world.

 

Limbs #1

 

Limbs #2

 

Mimesis #2, diptych

 

The Path of Least Resistance Exhibition, Kunstquartier Bethanien, Berlin, 2021

 

Simbiosis, 2017-2021, 35 drawings, pencil on Hahnemühle paper, 106.6 x 107 cm.

 

Simbiosis, drawings (details)

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E X H I B I T I O N

THE PATH OF LEAST RESISTANCE

An approach to natural phenomena

Publication 16.04.2021 (German)

Natur-Dialog Magazin Der Weg des geringsten Widerstandes (The Path of Least Resistance), Vom Umgehen mit Widerstand (On dealing with resistance). Article by Sabina Fischer Switzerland

English translation

 
 

The Path of Least Resistance Exhibition, Kunstquartier Bethanien, Berlin, 2021

The Path of Least Resistance An approach to natural phenomena (2017-2021)

The starting point of this project is the question to what extent art can contribute to the perception of nature in its complexity in order to create a sensitivity and empathy for other forms of life and an awareness of a harmonious balance between human existence and the natural world.

The project brings together results from the fields of science and art and attempts to trace and visualize ways in which natural systems develop. The project was inspired by the work of Prof. Adrian Bejan, author of The Constructal Law. The basic statement of the theory states: " For a finite-size system to persist in time (to live), it must evolve in such a way that it provides easier access to the imposed (global) currents that flow through it".  It is important that the system also has the freedom to develop. This sounds seemingly trivial, but behind it lies an ingenious principle according to which flow patterns determine the structure of the entire universe. This principle is most clearly visible in rivers, neuronal networks, lightning, lung design, plant growth patterns and even in social dynamics. Every flow architecture on earth follows the natural tendency to want to flow more easily. The evolution of its movement always pursues the goal of achieving balance and minimizing resistance.

By exploring individual images extracted from a seemingly inexhaustible source of "designs in nature", experimental arrangements are created by means of interpretation, abstraction, alienation and composition, which shed light on natural phenomena and their complex interrelationships. These phenomena can be found at both micro and macro levels in a wide range of scientific disciplines, such as biology, geology, physics and medicine. The translation of natural phenomena by artistic means makes it possible by enlarging or focusing on individual aspects, to arouse the viewer's interest in the complexity of natural systems. An associative approach creates the possibility to discover the origins of the architecture of natural structures and the analogies between them, which leads us to the conclusion: there is a common dynamic behind the evolution, or rather the design of the existing.

Though “nature” and “culture” are often seen as separate—even in opposition—within Western consciousness, Gabriela’s images demonstrate that everything in this universe shares a common origin. Shapes abound, structures emerge in a harmony where something inanimate appears to mimic the folds, arches, surfaces, and veins of something living through reaches of movement, growth, or branching—so much so that it is hard to say which is living and which is not. Her art seeks to advance the understanding that the boundaries of sentience are fluid and that by recognizing mirrored forms, shapes, and contours, we take a step towards sensitivity and empathy for the living world.

Emergence Magazine

Publication: Emergence Magazine The Path of Least Resistance. Photo essay. February 2021