The song of the Nomadic Plants: living art announcing death

Abstract

The 20th century brought with it great technological discoveries in various fields of knowledge, art was no exception, its materiality expanded the limits to novel and unconventional forms of expression. In the case of bioart, which combines art, biology and technology, the artists turned their gaze to raw materials that could only be found in scientific laboratories and began to imagine new ways to dialogue with science. In the contemporary world it is possible to create art using technological components that seem taken from a science fiction film, such is the case of Plantas Nómadas by Gilberto Esparza. This biocybernetic entity constitutes a new species, which arises from a deep reflection regarding consumer societies in urban areas, where large amounts of technology and toxic waste are thrown daily into the natural environment. Esparza generates a strategy to convert waste into life, pointing out some alternatives for its use. This hybrid can exist due to the symbiosis of the organic and inorganic organisms that shape it. Among its characteristics are the ability to clean wastewater in order to feed itself, self-regulation, movement for self-preservation, efficient use of the energy and it is capable of surviving in places where water pollution reaches toxic levels for the locality.

When the work of art sings it is a bad omen but none that has to do with the popular folklore, its sound is a concrete form of communication where the life of the artwork celebrates its own wellness. This action seems harmless and it is, however, it reflects the saturation of pollutants in the landscape where the work lives. Esparza fosters a vision about the present-future, but also leads us to reflect on how we live and how we relate to the planet and reminds us of the importance of protecting life and building harmonious relationships with nature. Through this analysis it is intended to consider the importance of the work Plantas Nómadas by Gilberto Esparza, within the framework of the Anthropocene.