LIFE AND DECAY
Investigating the Second Law of Thermodynamic by observing the process of oxidation on urban weeds sprayed with nonanoic acid organic compound through different stages of life and decay.
Time lapse video of an urban weed growing in between brick as part of Life and Decay installation (detail)
Time lapse video of the chicken weed growing on pebbles as part of Life and Decay installation (detail)
Time lapse video mix showing different stages of Life and Decay on urban weeds sprayed with nonanoic acid organic compound (extract)
Video installation
Ferracin Entropy_Life and Decay (2018) investigates the Second Law of Thermodynamic: for each complex localised order of a living plant, an equal presence of entropy or decay is necessary. So, to create order in one place, a process of disorder must occur elsewhere: life cannot exist without entropy or decay.
To create Life and Decay, Ferracin installed a time-lapse camera to capture the spraying of urban weeds with nonanoic acid and record the organic compound's ability to disrupt the cell wall of the leaves.
Ferracin oxidised the weeds to different stages of decay, including a "bleached" effect, caused by exposing the weeds to sunlight for several days.
She filmed the slow process of oxidation over three days, ultimately speeding up and reversing the footage during editing.
Artwork details
| Artwork | Entropy_Life and Decay (2018) |
| Material | Single-channel video (timelapse), polystyrene frame and tablet |
| Dimensions | 40(W) x 65(D) x 90(H) cm |
| Duration video | 03:40 mins (loop) |
| Exhibition |
Marta Ferracin + Lisa Tolcher
CULTURE@WORK (CAW), Pyrmont, NSW, AU 3 - 17 November Artist talk 8 November |
| Art residence | art+science CAW – October 2018 |
| Links | Exhibition catalogue |
Credits
Scientist mentor
Dr. Robert Baker, The School of Chemistry, The University of Sydney
Curator
Ivana Jiràsek
Provision of CAW Space
art+science Culture@Work
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