Invasive Apparatus
What distinguishes a reintroduced native species from an invasive one that must be resisted? How do we define the Other? Is our idea of the “natural” rooted in nature itself, or shaped by our worries and need for human systems? These questions and others are explored in Invasive Apparatus, a living water circulation system react to real environment, which takes inspiration from the reversal of the Chicago River, an engineering feat driven by fear of waterborne disease. Completed in January 1900, it linked separate bodies of water, leading to serious ecological and health consequences that continue to be reckoned with today.
Water collected from the Chicago River, Japanese Toyota car mufflers, living Canadian fresh-water mussels, European hedera helix, fish tank, LED grow light, blown glass, silicone, water pump, pvc pipe, soil, metal, road salt, clear plastic tube
2025