The project will start from an inter-species mimetic process, exploring the possibilities of a new biomaterial. This highly biocompatible artificial nacre is made from a combination of three elements that can be found in nature: the bacterium Sporosarcina pasteurii, calcium carbonate and urea. From this material, a structure will be designed to function as an artificial reef, stimulating the emergence of diverse species in the ruins of an eroded underwater landscape. In later phases of the project, in a poetic inversion of pearl hunting, the mother-of-pearl will be returned to the depths of the ocean in a single breath.

In parallel, a publication produced in collaboration with researcher Marco Bene and articulated by the drifts of the Pinctada Radiata oyster will explore the pearl farming industry, tracing its development and its links to freediving, unveiling a multi-layered narrative, interweaving art, culture and politics in the underwater realm.

Pinctada Radiata is a species of pearl oyster belonging to the family Pteriidae. It originally inhabited the waters of the Indo-Pacific, but in recent times it was introduced into the Mediterranean by human action: unintentionally after the construction of the Suez Canal; and intentionally, for aquaculture.

Project selected in the 1st Call for Artistic Residencies 2024.