The eight artists in “Human/Nature: Artists Respond to a Changing Planet” traveled to UNESCO World Heritage Sites that became the basis of their works on view at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego. The complete list of artists and sites:
Mark Dion, Komodo National Park, Indonesia – Home to the Komodo dragon and a vast marine reserve. Dion designed carts in homage to the park's rangers and the region. (Dion and Philip Unitt, curator of birds and mammals at the San Diego Natural History Museum, will conduct an all-day event Nov. 8 that includes a tour of the Tijuana River Estuary.)
Ann Hamilton, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador – Habitat of the giant tortoise, iguanas and many varieties of finches. Hamilton's multi-dimensional project involved spoken-work performances with local students. (She'll perform today with local students at 11 a.m. in the museum downtown.)
Iñigo Manglano-Ovalle, El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve, Mexico – The Central Baja California breeding ground and winter locale for the California sea lion and gray whale, among other species. The artist has made a film using a local camera crew focusing on the Mitsubishi Saltworks, adjacent to the reserve.
Marcos Ramirez ERRE, Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas, China – The red panda as well as the giant panda live there. Ramirez worked with local carpenters on structures that will screen video footage of people and areas that will be affected by massive construction of dams in the region.
Rigo 23, Atlantic Forest Southeast Reserves, Brazil – Expanses of Atlantic forest with a high number of rare species that are also home to long-standing indigenous peoples such as the Guanrani and the Quilombolas. The artist worked closely with three communities to make replicas of weapons of mass destruction using traditional methods and materials.
Dario Robleto, Glacier-Waterton International Peace Park, U.S. and Canada – A vast forested region featuring small alpine glaciers with populations of black bears, gray wolfs, bald eagles and many other species. The artist has created a series of sculptures that focus on disappearing species, which, true to his past work, include exotic materials such as woolly mammoth hair. (Robleto will discuss the intersections of art and conservation Oct. 30 at 7 p.m. in the museum.)
Diana Thater, iSimangaliso Wetland Park (formerly Greater St. Lucia Park), South Africa – The area is habitat for rhinoceros, hippopotamuses, giraffes, elephants, crocodiles, warthogs and many birds. She's known for her multi-screen videos of animals, and she has shot extensive footage in the park for her installation.
Xu Bing, Mount Kenya National Park, Kenya – The most diverse forest area in East Africa, which faces threats to the health of its forests. Xu worked with Mount Kenyan schoolchildren, creating artworks that employ Chinese characters for trees. The art, mixing calligraphic words and images, will be shown along with the artist's work in the museum. He has also created a Web site to auction the work, which will raise funds for reforestation.
– ROBERT L. PINCUS
