DATA SHEET
Title / Título:
No one Knows you, but I sing to you / Nadie te conoce nadie, pero te canto
Team members / Miembros del equipo:
Guille Rodríguez (ES) artist / artista, Olga Albillos (ES) artist / artista and Triana Sánchez Hevia (ES) artist / artista
Scientist / Científico:
Xavier Salvador Costa (ES) biologist and researcher / biólogo e investigador
Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM, CSIC)
Seed / Semilla:
“Una muerte silenciosa”
Technique / Técnica:
Installation. Drum hoop, fabric, cotton padding, electrical circuit and sound / Instalación. Aro de bombo de tambor, tela, relleno de algodón, circuito eléctrico y sonido
Dimensions / Dimensiones:
50 x 50 x 250 cm
SEED
Climate change is causing species mortality due to rising water temperatures, stressing certain species. Gorgonians, colonial animals resembling forests, are particularly affected. The red gorgonian (Paramuricea Clavata) on the Catalan coast is studied for its rarity and attractiveness. In 2018, red gorgonian deaths were noted, but the white gorgonian (Eunicella Singularis) experienced even higher mortality, reducing populations to a few deteriorated specimens. Humans focused their concern on the most beautiful one, leaving the other in indifference despite being more broadly affected by the prolonged water warming, which causes gorgonians to collapse from thermal stress, melting their connective tissue and leaving lifeless black skeletons.
THE VISION OF THE CREATORS OF THE WORK
The installation No one Knows you, but I sing to you is an installation that plays with the contrast of its material textures to reflect on a duality. The impact of climate change on the population of red and white gorgonians due to the increase in water temperature, and the different attention that the scientific community and the general population show to both events. The set of carmine textile pieces allude to the red gorgonian, while the light installation is used to talk about the impact and notoriety of the white gorgonian, also bright but invisible to the public. This contrast invites us to contemplate the beauty and complexity of marine life, challenging perceptions of its aesthetic and symbolic value, and exploring the interconnection between living beings and their environment.
Within this dynamic, the red gorgonian, with its radiance, tries to eclipse the light of the white one, symbolizing a prominence it probably does not desire. Meanwhile, the white gorgonian perishes unseen. Thanks to its nature that incorporates light and sound, the installation offers an immersive experience that invites participants to interact with the work on different sensory levels.
CURATOR'S VISION OF THE WORK
No one Knows you, but I sing to you underscores the concept of interconnectedness, suggesting that all forms of life, from the visible red gorgonian to the invisible white one, are intrinsically linked. This reflects the idea that each element of the ecosystem is part of a larger unified whole, and that the existence and health of one species are inextricably tied to the others. This duality highlights the balance of opposites within nature, possibly even being considered different facets of the same reality. Although invisible to humans, other species play an equally vital role in their ecosystems and in ours, emphasizing that what is hidden from our senses still holds immense value and influence over all of us.
The impacts of climate change on delicate marine life urge us to reconsider our actions and their consequences on the planet. We have an ethical obligation to protect and preserve all forms of life, visible or not, recognizing the intrinsic value of other living beings and the planet, and the moral imperative to safeguard their well-being. We need to renegotiate our relationship in a more equitable way that gives voice and attention to those who are unseen and unheard.
But there is still hope through awareness raised by scientists via the collective effort of “citizen science” to better understand our environment, and through the energizing power of critical thinking activated by the aesthetic experience that the SciArt work provides us. We still have time to glimpse a possible significant change and strengthen our efforts to mitigate climate change, thus protecting our natural environment.
Con la colaboración de la Fundación Española para la Ciencia y la Tecnología – Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades @fecyt_ciencia
