Sol Bailey-Barker British, b. 1987
Biosphere for a Dead Leaf Mantis’ is a sonic-sculpture housing a complete self-sustaining ecosystem based on a tropical habitat with an endangered praying mantis as predator. The biosphere includes: flies, woodlice, spring tails, bromeliads, orchids, sphagnum moss, creepers, orchid bark and charcoal. Drawing parallels between the death of the coal industry & rapid extinction of global insect populations; a bowl of coal balances atop the sculpture. Using UV light and technology used to grow food underground & in space; the piece suggests a possible future where micro-biospheres are relics of former global ecosystems.
Biosphere for a Dead Leaf Mantis’ reflects on the rapid loss of insect populations globally. The installation presents a laboratory-like space where kinetic, sound and living sculptures each explore different aspects of the relationship between new technologies and rapidly shifting ecosystems. The installation suggests a need for technobiophilia: employing technology to bring us closer to nature and help us restore the balance of the natural world to live in symbiosis
