THE INSTALLATION IS COMPOSED OF THREE PARTS.

THE FIRST PART CONSISTS OF 3 HYDROPONIC UNITS WHERE A NUMBER OF HYPER-ACCUMULATOR PLANTS EXTRACT METALS (ZINC, NICKEL AND COPPER) FROM A WATER BASED SOLUTION. THESE EXTRACTION UNITS FEATURE SPECIAL SENSORS ABLE TO TRACK IN REAL-TIME THE EXTRACTING PERFORMANCES OF THE PLANTS. THE DATA RELATED TO THE EXTRACTION IS THEN CROSSED WITH THE REAL-TIME VALUE OF THE METALS, WHICH CONSTANTLY CHANGES ON THE LONDON EXCHANGE MARKET. THE RESULTING INFORMATION, WHICH ARGUABLY REPRESENTS THE REAL-TIME VALUE OF THE PLANT, IS THEN TRANSMITTED TO THREE

CIRCULAR PLOTTING UNIT. EACH PLOTTING UNIT DRAFTS A GRAPH OF BOTH THE REAL-TIME VALUE OF THE PLANTS AND OF THEIR EXTRACTING PERFORMANCES. THIS PART OF THE INSTALLATION CHANGES THE WAY VISITORS THINK AND LOOK AT CROPS.

THE SECOND PART OF THE INSTALLATION IS A VIDEO PROJECTED ON A CIRCULAR HORIZONTAL SURFACE. THIS SURFACE REPRESENTS A PIECE OF LAND AND THE VIDEO PROJECTED ONTO IT TELLS ITS STORY. STARTING WITH THE FACTORIES THAT CONTAMINATED THE LAND WITH HEAVY METALS, THE VIDEO SHOWS HOW LOCAL PEOPLE STARTED GROWING PLANTS TO RECLAIM THE POLLUTED LAND, WHILE EXTRACTING METALS.

THE THIRD PART OF GEOMERCE IS REPRESENTED BY LEAVES OF ACCUMULATOR PLANTS THAT HAVE BEEN CLEARED THROUGH AN INNOVATIVE CHEMICAL PROCESS SO TO SHOW THEIR FULL CAPILLAR SYSTEM. THE LEAVES ARE CAST INTO CLEAR RESIN TOGETHER WITH FRAGMENTS AND POWDERS OF THE METALS THEY ARE ABLE TO EXTRACT.

DESIGN: GIONATA GATTO & GIOVANNI INNELLA

VIDEO AND SOFTWARE: STUDIO ZESBAANS

PHOTO CREDITS: MATTEO CREMONINI STUDIO 5

SCIENTIFIC PARTNERS: PLANT SCIENCES GROUP OF WAGENINGEN; UNIVERSITY OF PARMA; LINV; C-CIT