The Exo Auxiliary Respiratory Unit (Ex.A.R.U.), created by Dorotea Dolinšek and her collaborators, is an immersive installation that speculates on human survival in environments where air is scarce or unbreathable.
Visitors are invited to wear specially designed air masks and attach themselves to a breathing unit, that contains plants from the families Aglaonema and Alocasia and is optimized for breathable air. The installation fosters a mutually reliant relationship between humans and plants, where the air exchange cycle of oxygen and carbon dioxide is vital for both species’ survival, highlighting the delicate need of one for the other. This visceral experience of momentary asphyxia that occurs while wearing a mask, right before attaching to the dome, underscores the fragility of and necessity for Earth’s atmosphere. The project invites reflection on human co-dependency, both on our home planet and in extraterrestrial settings, urging us to consider this invisible, life-sustaining element, which the artist also portrays with an additional graphic work. For this work she breathes with charcoal on paper. Each paper sheet stands for 20 minutes of breathing, emphasizing breathing as a medium through which humans connect and exchange with their environment around 32,000 times a day.
Credits
Produced by: Kersnikova Institute – Kapelica Gallery within the framework of the konS ≡ Platform for Contemporary Inestigative Art | Curator: Jurij Krpan | Producers: Sandra Sajovic, Simon Gmajner | Technical solutions (development of interface, sensory system, and programming): ::vtol:: (Dmitry Morozov) | Technical support: Jure Sajovic, Valter Udovičić, Jan Lavrič, Vuk Emiliano Valecic , Albin Bobnar | Textile design: Uroš Topić | Acknowledgement: Barbara Sušnik | Sketch and construction set-up: Rompom d.o.o.
Research and development were implemented within the framework of the konS ≡ Platform for Contemporary Investigative Art and co-funded by the Republic of Slovenia and the European Regional Development Fund of the European Union.