Emily Simek
Master of Contemporary Art
Composting (full title truncated) is a body of work co-created with a worm-farm compost system. In this practice, digital technologies intra-act within nutrient cycles at the site of the compost heap. Worms ingest organic waste to form piles of soft humus. A contact microphone transcribes the workings of the worms into a textural soundscape. Microscopic footage of compost materials trace decomposition through the slippage of pixels in a video projection. The skins of vegetables are reconstituted as digital renders that blossom into fragrant soft sculptures. These are all processes in the cross-pollination of matter in a techno-compost system. Together they explore the potentialities of closed-loop systems in permaculture design for art-making practices.