Future Remnants

Xandra van der Eijk connects art, ecology and activism in her art and design. She builds upon fieldwork, theory and documentation in her practice. She re-interprets the landscape we live in from what she calls an ‘anti-anthropocentric view’. She deals with ecological issues and how time and exposure can diminish and enhance material properties.

For her project Future Remnants, van der Eijk conducted research into the influence of humans on the emergence of new minerals (such as plastiglomerates, a fusion of rock and plastic). The project shows the reaction of metals to ordinary household chemical agents. Van der Eijk exposed four metals to twelve of these agents using three techniques. She observed the metals’ reactions and collected an extensive archive of these hybrid materials. Future Remnants aims to demonstrate on a small scale what is happening on a large scale in the landscape. Her project has continued with research into the polluted soils in Sydney Harbour and is part of her PhD research.