I
create situations that make visible – and palpable – the
connections between the human and non-human. Through the
construction and display of partially mechanized ecosystems,
I place the human into relationships that require their
participation, along with the actions of others. Immersed
within interactive artworks, or in domestic-scale ecosystems
that include machines, plants or animals, the human experiences
self as a mutually dependent being, intermeshing and intermingling
with the non-human parts.
Preparing for cohabitation with living, domestic ecosystems, I construct
a technologized couch that allows humans to appreciate the amplified sounds of
composting worms moving through soil, a dining table that invites worms to share
meals and an indoor mini farm with edible fish. Worm-activated, sun-powered,
automated waste processing units embedded in the living room, office or gallery
might appear to be objects of art or design, but their ambitions are to give
birth to a future that will enable a flourishing of interdependencies.
amy m. youngs