EARTH POTENTIAL is an exhibition of new works by artist Katja Novitskova (b. 1984 Tallinn, Estonia; works in Amsterdam and Berlin) that explores the relationships among science, technology, fiction, and our image-based culture.

Scattered throughout the park are seven large aluminum sculptures featuring online-sourced, digitally-printed images of the Earth, celestial objects, and enlarged, seemingly alien but terrestrial organisms. Sourced by the artist from the Internet, these striking images were originally created through advanced imaging techniques like a microscope that can magnify an organism by 10,000 times or a satellite orbiting the Earth. These new sculptures explore worlds unseen by the naked eye by employing photography, scale, and juxtaposition to transform the park into a seemingly Sci-Fi landscape.

The artist selected and combined these images — which range from Venus and Saturn’s moon to the common earthworm and Hydra — to question the dichotomies of reality and fiction. While appearing otherworldly and futuristic in their presentation, these organisms and bodies have significant research value within the scientific community for their potential to advance our understanding of our species and world. For example, the tiny freshwater Hydra is studied for its regenerative abilities, while the manipulated image of the cloudless Earth is used to monitor the continued growth of cities around the world.

Through both scientific and poetic lenses, Novitskova invites us to reflect on the ways in which we see — and comprehend — the potential of the Earth.

Video:

https://vimeo.com/226151188

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