summaery2016: Projects

Second Soil_Wheatfield

Project information

submitted by

Melissa Holstein

Co-Authors

Mentors

Prof. Liz Bachhuber

Faculty / Section:
Art and Design

Degree programme:
Fine Art (Diploma)

Type of project presentation

Artwork

Semester

Summer semester 2016

Exhibition Location / Event Location
  • Freifläche 3 / outside 3 (zwischen VDV und Amalienstraße 13)

Participation in the Bauhaus Essentials and the GRAFE Kreativpreis 2024

Contributors:
Kreativfonds Bauhaus Universität Weimar, Biotechnologie in der Ressourcenwirtschaft Bauahus-Universität Weimar, KNOTEN WEIMAR GmbH, Vogtland PET GmbH

Project description online

Melissa Holstein
Second Soil_ Wheatfield (2016)
Shredded plastic, acrylic glass, wheat seed and water
127 x 197 x 12 cm

Wheat is growing on artificial soil – Second Soil – a substrate made from recycled plastic.

Living in a world full of synthetic material is a big experimental field. Plastic adapts to our needs, it is light and tight and beautiful. It merges with life and life merges with it.
We are using and disposing plastic. The Second-Soil-material has been removed from the „circulation“ of valuable substances, and intensively processed, shredded and compressed up to neutral plasticity. Then the substrate is temporarily put back in a natural growing- process. The revaluation from plastic to Second Soil culminates in the fusion with wheat growing on the plastic-soil.

Later, the wheatgrass-chlorophyll is a base for drawings of life. What finally lasts, besides these biomass-drawings, is the decycled hybride of plastic and roots, enclosed in acrylic glass. They are both, a reserve of valuable substance – for sure, carbon-based plastic is going to be rare – and a sign of life growing togehter with synthetics.

With best thanks to the Kreativfonds and the chair of Biotechnologie in der Ressourcenwirtschaft at the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar, as well to KNOTEN WEIMAR GmbH and Vogtland PET GmbH.


Email: melissa.holstein[at]uni-weimar.de

Exhibition Location / Event Location