Monsoon Assemblages Venice Biennale

Between the Dragonfly and Barometer was an immersive installation exhibited at the Venice Biennale 2021. The work explored shifting ideas of borders, scale, and agency through the lens of the monsoon. Drawing on climate data, fieldwork, and video projections of the dragonfly Pantala flavescens, it revealed how climate change is intensifying monsoonal patterns across the Indo-Pacific.

 

As part of the installation, we created a trio of ‘earth cores’—sculptural forms representing the geological strata of three cities where the relationship between humans, dragonflies, and the monsoon is most concentrated.

 

Each core was cast in thin layers of Jesmonite, chosen for its textural, tonal, and lightweight qualities. Natural aggregates were added to the mixes to evoke the striated makeup of the earth and echo the layered temporalities of climate, migration, and memory.