[dNASAb]:
Faux Ecologies + Augmented Visions of the Nature-verse
Sat., May 18 - Sun., August 18, 2024
OPENING RECEPTION
Sat., May 18, | 5 - 8 pm
Admission $7 | Members FREE
Refreshments will be served.
[dNASAb] is an innovative sculptor of ecosystems, infusing discarded materials and consumer electronics while pioneering new technologies through extended, augmented realities. His new project, Faux Ecologies + Augmented Visions of the Nature-verse, blends environmental conservation, art, and technology to engage viewers as co-creators and advocates for sustainability. The artist seeks to challenge prevailing notions of loss, decay, e-waste, and environmental degradation.
[dNASAb] begins with upcycled ocean debris and reclaimed plastics, transforming them into kinetic sculptures inspired by underwater life, highlighting the need to protect marine ecosystems from plastic pollution. He then uses Neural Radiance Field (NeRF) scans to capture the sculptures in natural environments, creating precise 3D models. These models enable an Augmented Reality (AR) experience that merges physical and virtual elements during the exhibition, offering an immersive and interactive journey for viewers. The project also employs AI-assisted videos and artificial intelligence models trained from documentation imagery of Biscayne Bay underwater sculptural interventions and materials, to create generative videos that depict a plasticized ocean.
Following the exhibition, the AR project transforms into stand-alone digital art, allowing audiences local and worldwide to access the AR experience. The permanent AR installation remains on-site, preserving the artwork and emphasizing the importance of using technology to extend the life and impact of art.
Made possible with support from the Broward County Cultural Division.
[dNASAb] has a BFA in Sculpture from Florida State University. After living in New York for 20 years, the artist returned to Florida to create new works inspired by the environmental challenges in the South Florida ecosystems. He has received numerous awards and scholarships such as the International Summer Residency at the Experimental Television Center, Owego, NY; Artist Honoree at the BRIC Contemporary Art Gala; and a scholarship at Harvestworks Digital Media Arts Center. In 2014, the artist received a commission from Bloomberg World Headquarters to create a living coral reef ecosystem of reclaimed plastics titled Sculptural Aquascaping. His work has been published in The Washington Post, Sculpture magazine, Art Papers, ART 21, and Reuters television. [dNASAb] is a 2024 recipient of the Broward Cultural Division Artist Support Grant.
