Artist Statement

This diorama visualises a future where nature and technology are in synch. Inspired by biomimicry, it suggests that nature, imaginative by necessity, has already solved many of the problems we are grappling with: energy, food production, climate control, non-toxic chemistry, transportation, packaging, and a whole lot more. Animals, plants and microbes are the consummate engineers. Nature has found what works, what is appropriate, and most importantly, what lasts here on Earth. By creatively investigating and exploring technology, eLEMenT:EARTH helps us to both imaginatively experience and critically reflect on the implications of technology, and also looks into alternative energy. ISEA2013 acknowledges ARTCapital for their generous support in the presentation of this work. Paul Chacko: Engineer, Kari Rae Seekins: Sound Design. nanditakumar.com/2012-element-earth.

• Nandita Kumar (Republic of Mauritius/New Zealand/India) is a new media artist who works in various mediums to create immersive environmental spaces and explore the elemental processes by which humanity constructs meaning from their experience. She constructs sensory/narrative experiences through the use of various materials plus sound, video/animation, performance and technology. Her art practice revolves around the concepts of body, locating inherent patterns, hybridity, technology, immersive environments, and the synergy between nature and our current urban environment. She holds a joint BFA from MS University, India and Auckland University (Elam School of the Arts), and has completed her MFA in Experimental Animation at California Institute of the Arts, LA, US. nanditakumar.com/about-me