davidkremers, microMACRO: the expanding landscape (2001)
His art project in Zeewolde centred on the human perception of the landscape. Human perception is increasingly expanding its scope: on the one hand, the scale on which we can perceive nature and life is getting smaller and smaller, e.g. in biotechnology, on the other hand, the scale is getting ever larger, e.g. through the internet.
For the temporary art project ARTificial NATURAL NETWORKS (2000–2001) organised by De Verbeelding, davidkremers developed microMACRO: the expanding landscape (2001), a temporary project comprising several parts in different media. Besides working as a freelance artist, davidkremers is also employed at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in Pasadena, where he holds the position of ‘distinguished conceptual artist in biotechnology’. With his knowledge of visual art and his artist’s eye, he investigates new ways of visualising scientific data.
About microMACRO: the expanding landscape (2001), the artist wrote: the landscape, our image of reality, has expanded under the influence of new tools, such as the internet and the human genome project. We are no longer describing objects in a limited space, but looking at systems in a relational space.
Paintings made of genetically maipulated bacteria and projections
In Zeewolde, davidkremers focused on nature on different scales: from the micro level of the genes of a transgenic zebra fish he bred at Caltech to the macro level of the internet. One part of the project was an exhibition in the pavilion of De Verbeelding, that showed the zebra fish alongside paintings made of genetically manipulated bacteria and projections. Another part was an exhibition of his paintings and photographs at the Wagemans art gallery in Beetsterzwaag. In addition, in the period from January to April 2001, he took part in the Bio Debate, an interactive discussion on the internet for pupils in secondary school. Further, his website, cyburbia, was dedicated to microMACRO: the expanding landscape (2001) for a period of nine months. This was also the basis for the CD-ROM that was published by way of exhibition catalogue.
In addition to these presentations, davidkremers has also designed seats and a lectern for the pavilion of De Verbeelding. The seats, entitled Fish filets/visfilets (2001), have a fluent and organic form. The lectern, cattail lectern/lisdodde-lessenaar (2001) was inspired by the shape of the marsh plant.
Annick Kleizen
1 Realised with thanks to the SKOR Foundation for Art and Public Space.
2 davidkremers, ‘modellen van vreemdheid’, KUNSTmatige NATUURLIJKE NETWERKEN, Zeewolde 2001, p. 5.
davidkremers, microMACRO: theexpandinglandscape
1960, Denver, Colorado, USA
microMACRO: theexpandinglandscape (2001)
hypermedia catalogue on CD-ROM
edition of 2000 copies
De Verbeelding Collection
fish filets/visfilets (2001)
Polyester covering, plywood
cattail lectern/lisdodde-lessenaar (built in 2001)
Veneered wood
De Verbeelding Collection
Contributions
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