Science meets art in Tomás Saraceno’s second solo show at Esther Schipper Gallery in Berlin. The Argentine artist is interested in the natural world and especially spiders. He tries to recreate their web intricacy within the space of an art gallery.Saraceno is passionate about arachnology and spider web as a spatial construct. He uses spider silk in his installations to create complex yet delicate structures. While seemingly incapable of sustaining any weight, they prove to be quite durable, allowing spiders to travel in the air, using quickly released threads and wind streams.One such work is titled “Arachno Concert With Arachne (Nephila senegalensis), Cosmic Dust (Porus Chondrite) and the Breathing Ensemble.” The 2016 piece is made of Nephila senegalensis silk on a carbon frame. The other materials are listed as “light beam, cosmic dust, stellar wind, sonic waves, video camera, loudspeakers, video projector.” The result puts a spotlight on the unique nature of the spider web. Saraceno explores not only the architectural quality of the silk construction, but also the sound effects it produces. The artist’s involvement with his work is limited; it is the spider that is at the center of attention as the ultimate creator of incomprehensible symphonies.Saraceno’s organic installations draw attention to the overlooked microscopic universes, coexisting with the anthropocentric world. The artist uses his fascination with arachnoids as a point of departure in exploration of the relationship between people and their environment.“Tomás Saraceno: Aerocene” runs at Esther Schipper, Schöneberger Ufer 65, 10785 Berlin through May 28, 2016. For more information, see http://www.estherschipper.com/
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