About
AImnesia
ANTHOZOA
Beneath the
Neural Waves 1.1
Sunburned Land
Zhōuwéi Network:
Embodied Ambitopias

‘Sci-Fi Lab’ Cafe

I found the Sci-fi Lab Cafe by the smell of algae. As I walk towards the scent wafting my way, my eyes are drawn towards the soft glow of a blinking neon billboard hovering above the cafe entrance. Although it’s covered in seaweed, it still manages to illuminate everything. Neon makes me nostalgic. It emanates the last millennium’s faith in science. The future must have seemed as bright as flashing neon lights beyond the horizon, a beautiful journey into a utopia of abundance… Waves of wistful nostalgia wash over me as I enter the cafe seeking clues how to revive bright future visions for the present? A dusty Zero Emissions Report left on a glossy table reads: “Our ethical leadership department recognises the need to accelerate our efforts in being 110% committed to realizing a agency over the future.” I wonder if the efforts were enough… How can we think beyond technocentrism and deceptive extractionism and make the future inhabitable and abundant for all living and artificial beings?

Cristal De La Cruz

ANTHOZOA
Cristal De La Cruz

Drawing from her fascination with marine life, artist Cristal De La Cruz presents ANTHOZOA, a series of sculptures depicting the beauty in survival of a dying underwater species.

Temperatures above and below sea level are rising rapidly due to global warming, affecting amongst others structures such as the anthozoa. In an attempt to save themselves, the anthozoa poison their own ecosystem by releasing a protein that acts as a chemical sunscreen, turning them into fluorescent colors.

After seeing the documentary Chasing Coral (The Ocean Agency, 2017), where the causes and effects of this phenomenon is presented, De La Cruz became intrigued by these changes and decided to encapsulate this reality and bring awareness to this occurrence through her art, bringing about ANTHOZOA.

With the use of 3D software, the artist sculpted twelve corals, which are presented in various shades of purple based on the color palette found in the underwater landscapes. By using a combination of natural material from the sea such as sand and salt amongst others to produce the art works, a reflection of what is happening in the ocean is brought to the surface.

Cristal De La Cruz (1990) studied at the University of the Arts Utrecht.

She graduated in 2018 as a Product Designer with a Bachelor of Design.

Kinetic artist inspiring on marine life.

‘Sci-Fi Lab’ Cafe