Alana Bartol & Mia Rushton + Eric Moschopedis: a hint of perennial magic lingers in its fingertips
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Esker Foundation 444-1011 9 Avenue SE, Calgary, Alberta T2G 0H7
Alana Bartol & Mia Rushton + Eric Moschopedis, "a hint of perennial magic lingers in its fingertips," 2018
Opening Reception: Friday 21 September, 2018 at 6 - 10 pm
Talk: Saturday 20 October, 4-5 pm
a hint of perennial magic lingers in its fingertips is a site-specific project that examines native and non-native weed species in relation to urban development in the community of Inglewood. Soil and seeds of native and invasive weed species were collected from the construction site across from the Esker and elsewhere in the neighbourhood. These seeds will be grown in the Esker Project Space throughout the exhibition. In this work, the artists hope to create a conversation about land use, notions of progress, and the de/naturalization process of invasive species. Throughout the process, they will ask what remediation, reconciliation, and reclamation mean in this context. Their research will explore the distribution of plants in relation to development, the perception of various plants in the neighbourhood, and phytoremediation as an actual or symbolic process.
The transformation of biodiverse systems into monocultures, urban and rural ecology, human/nature co-flourishment, and cultural, political, and social narratives of plants and animals are themes that Alana Bartol and Mia + Eric share in their practices.