THE 70S AND 80S WERE CHARACTERIZED BY A GROWING EXPLORATION OF ARTIFICIALITY AND THE DEVELOPMENT AND USE OF MATERIALS THAT INCREASINGLY MEDIATED THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MAN AND NATURE. ARTIFICIALITY HAS INSPIRED THE WORK OF ARCHITECTS AND DESIGNERS, WHO HAVE TRIED TO PICTURE A WORLD WITH LESS AND LESS NATURE, OR WITH AN ARTIFICIALIZED RELATIONSHIP WITH IT.

IN 1984 “THE NEOMERCE: THE DESIGN OF THE INVENTION AND ARTIFICIAL ECTASY” WAS PRESENTED AT THE CENTRE POMPIDOU IN PARIS. THE EXHIBITION WAS CURATED BY DENIS SANTACHIARA AND EXPLORED THE TECHNOLOGICAL POSSIBILITIES OF THOSE YEARS AND POSSIBLE NEW WAYS OF LIVING. THE TRAJECTORY TRACED BY NEOMERCE PROJECTED THE VISITOR AS FAR AS POSSIBLE FROM NATURE. GEOMERCE ATTEMPTS TO TRACE A RETURN PATH OF THE SAME JOURNEY, WITH THE CERTAINTY OF GETTING LOST SOMEWHERE.

OUR JOURNEY STARTS FROM THAT VERY POINT OF TECHNOLOGICAL PROGRESS WHERE DENIS SANTACHIARA (AND THE NEXT 30 YEARS OF DEVELOPMENT) BROUGHT US,  BUT WITH THE INTENTION TO ABANDON

THE ARTIFICIAL AND RETURN TO EARTH.

APPARENTLY THIS MIGHT SEEM AS A BACKWARD PATH, ACTUALLY THE PREMISE IS TO IMAGINE AN EVOLUTION IN ECONOMIC, CULTURAL AND POLITICAL LIFE THAT DEVIATES FROM THE PATH TRACED BY THE CURRENT LINE OF PROGRESS. GEOMERCE SUGGESTS A REVOLUTION SIMILAR TO THE INDUSTRIAL ONE, BUT IN REVERSE.

CONCEPT

PLANTS ABSORB METALS FROM THE SOIL THROUGH THEIR ROOTS. CERTAIN PLANTS ARE PARTICULARLY GOOD AT ABSORBING CERTAIN HEAVY METALS SUCH AS ZINC, COPPER AND NICKEL FROM THE SOIL WHERE THEY GROW, AND ACCUMULATING THESE METALS IN THEIR LEAVES. THOSE PLANTS ARE KNOWN AS HYPER-ACCUMULATORS. THE ACCUMULATED METALS CAN BE EXTRACTED BY HARVESTING THE PLANT LEAVES AND BURNING THE BIOMASS. THIS PROCESS IS CALLED PHYTO-MINING. STARTING FROM THIS NOTION, GEOMERCE RETHINKS THE WAY

WE COMMONLY THINK OF AGRICULTURE. SINCE MANY OF THE ACCUMULATED HEAVY METALS ARE LISTED ON INTERNATIONAL MARKETS LIKE THE LONDON METAL EXCHANGE, FIELDS AND CROPS BECOME FINANCIAL ASSETS AS SOURCES AND RESERVOIRS OF CAPITALS. IN THIS INSTALLATION, THE METAL ABSORPTION PROCESS OF SELECTED PLANTS IS TRACKED. THE AMOUNT OF METAL IN THE PLANTS IS CROSSED WITH THE REAL-TIME VALUE OF THE ACCUMULATED METALS. AS A RESULT, THE VALUE OF THE PLANTS VARIES CONSTANTLY ACCORDING TO THE METALS’ MARKET VALUE AND THE PLANTS’ ACCUMULATION PERFORMANCES.

IN THE SCENARIO DRAWN BY GEOMERCE AGRICULTURE BLURS WITH FINANCE AND FARMING DECISIONS ARE MADE ACCORDING TO BOTH FINANCIAL CHANGES AND SCIENTIFIC PROGRESS.

GEOMERCE WAS MADE

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