Ecología feral

Fundación Casa Wabi presents their Exhibition Program’s sixteenth show in Casa Santa María: Ecología feral by Ernesto Solana (Guadalajara, 1985).

The Anthropocene or the human era is a term first used in 2000 by the chemist and Nobel Prize winner Paul Crutzen, to define the geological-historical era characterized by human actions – and their terrible consequences – to the planet. The concept has been problematized in the last few years in order to register the catastrophic sequels to the environment, and as a consequence of the accelerated natural resource exploitation for capitalist purposes since the industrial revolution in the 19th century.

The sculpture selection presents itself as an assemblage of natural objects and forms that contrast with those man made. There are two constant figures in the exhibition: the conch as an organic element, representing the harmony between human beings and other species during pre-Columbian times; and the Coca-Cola bottle, a quintessencial symbol for the global capitalist developement. Other elements stand out, such as macaw feathers, deer horns, exoskeletons and pieces of rubber or marble. Through these sculptures, Solana explores the Anthropocene’s consequences and the new relationships between the notions of humanity and nature.

Engraved in the historic narrative that supports walking as a performative act of artistic creation, Solana finds and collects diverse objects in long hikes throughout urban and rural geographies. The Feral Ecology (Anthorpocene Studies) installation presents a wide variety of bodies from these walks, that bring out the artist’s interest in problematizing the taxonomical and anthropological studies deriving from the colonialistic methods that have enphasize the tension between the natural and artificial.

The notion of Feral ecology, proposed by the American anthopologist Anna Tsing, defines the ecosystems that have found a way out of human control, in spite of their previous domestication. In this context, Solana takes back the nature’s resistance considering the incipient consequences, proposing a solution to the environmental problems we are currently facing.

Curator: Alberto Ríos de la Rosa