Albedo
2023
installation
100% pure Merino wool carpet; 62% cotton 38% orange fibre (obtained from the orange albedo) fabric; 49% cotton 36% recycled cotton 15% lyocell, natural dye with Haematoxylum campechianum, Mais Morado, Arthrospira platensis, Indigofera tinctoria, Clitoria ternatea
Albedo is an artwork that emerges as a tangible ode to the beauty and vulnerability of glaciers, serving as a powerful call to safeguard these vital ecosystems.
The title of the artwork, ‘Albedo,’ draws inspiration from the scientific concept of the same name, emphasizing the crucial ability of glaciers to reflect up to 80% of solar radiation into the atmosphere, significantly aiding in combating global warming and maintaining stable Earth temperatures.
The deliberate choice to craft a cloak as an artistic form is intentional: it offers a participatory experience, allowing anyone who wears it to symbolically become a temporary guardian of this ‘glacier.’ The passing of the cloak from hand to hand perpetuates this symbolic responsibility, creating a chain of custody that underscores the importance of protecting glaciers and reflecting on our impact on Arctic environments.
Albedo’s double-faced cloak represents the duality of the glacier: one side portrays the purity and unaltered resilience of an untouched glacier, symbolized by a pristine white, while the other side exhibits grey-blue hues, depicting the change caused by the accumulation of debris, dust, or algae that renders the ice more vulnerable to warming. This visual duality reflects not only the glacier’s original resilience but also its progressive deterioration under the influence of human and environmental interference.
Through this tangible and concrete experience, Albedo aims to raise awareness about the importance of preserving glaciers and the urgency of considering our impact on Arctic ecosystems. Despite their remoteness, these habitats are integral to our world, acting as crucial defenders against global warming.
This artwork is a call to collective responsibility in protecting and preserving these delicate ecosystems for the well-being of our Planet.
/ Albedo will be exhibited in various locations vulnerable to climate change, directly threatened by rising sea levels caused by glacier melting.
In 2024, it will take place for the first time in Venice, specifically at Lazzaretto Nuovo, in the Barene area. The public will have the unique opportunity to actively engage with the artwork, wearing it and becoming an integral part of its message.
