Living, dying (and flying) artworks — Inside Anicka Yi’s ephemeral universe

Living, Dying (and Flying) Artworks — Inside Anicka Yi’s Ephemeral Universe

The Microbial Ecosystems of Storm King Art Center

Living dying and flying artworks – Deep in the Hudson Valley, Anicka Yi has transformed the grounds of Storm King Art Center into a living gallery. Towering structures, shaped like columns, teem with dynamic microbial ecosystems, their colors shifting between vibrant acid green and rich coffee tones. These installations evoke the feel of an archaeological site, as if remnants of ancient life have been unearthed and reimagined through the lens of contemporary art. Just 60 miles away, on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, two hovering, jellyfish-like machines drift silently above the fourth floor of the New Museum. Their tentacles open and close in rhythmic patterns, a performance that blurs the line between art and biology. Earlier this month, a sculpture inspired by radiolaria—a type of microscopic oceanic organism—was suspended at Frieze New York, its fiber-optic arms curling hypnotically as if in response to unseen forces.

Yi’s work reflects a deep engagement with the intersection of technology and nature. In a world where the boundaries between machine and microbe are increasingly porous, her art invites viewers to reconsider their relationship with both the tangible and the intangible. This theme has been central to her practice for over two decades, as she seeks to make visible the systems that operate beyond human perception. From scent to sound, her creations often challenge the senses, sometimes even emitting odors that linger in the air long after the viewer has departed.

A Studio Filled with Unfinished Dreams

Yi’s sunlit studio in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, serves as a microcosm of her creative philosophy. Shelves overflow with glass prototypes of her works, their forms organic and asymmetrical, reminiscent of biomes rather than man-made objects. Beside them, a collection of fragrances sits in quiet disorder—a mix of commercial perfumes like Chanel No. 5 and her own experimental concoctions, each bottle labeled with meticulous care. On a nearby table, cocoon-like lanterns are laid open, revealing the intricate embroidery and dyeing techniques that shape her ephemeral installations. Bags of kelp samples, dyed and stitched with precision, are pinned to a board, each marked with a number and a story.

One corner of the studio houses a solitary prototype from her Storm King commission, its surface stained with the soil and water from the sculpture park. This artifact, though unfinished, carries the weight of its environment, a testament to the organic processes Yi embraces. Her studio is a place of experimentation and reflection, where the past and present of her projects coexist. “I hope people who understand my work can connect the dots,” she said during a conversation in her space. “It takes time to build that kind of depth—ideas need to mature, just like ecosystems. You can’t rush that as a young artist.”

The Art of Uncertainty

At the heart of Yi’s “Message from the Mud” installation are Winogradsky columns—self-contained ecosystems invented by the Russian-Ukrainian microbiologist Sergei Winogradsky over a century ago. These columns, which she has used in previous works, are a fascinating blend of science and art. By introducing local soil, pond water, and organic additives like shredded newspapers, eggshells, and diatomaceous earth, Yi creates a living system that evolves unpredictably. The result is a patchwork of microbial zones, each layer forming in response to the environment’s subtle changes. “The other ingredient is time,” she noted, “so they’ve just been cooking for two years.” The process took place in a heated barn under UV lights, a controlled yet organic setting that mirrors the natural conditions where such life thrives.

Unlike her algorithmic-based works, which are precise and reproducible, the Winogradsky columns embody a sense of chance. “Without the right environmental variables, the microbial communities will simply die off,” Yi explained. “I’ve thought through all the left-field scenarios—like bears tipping over the columns once the installation was up.” She laughed at the idea, though she remains hopeful that turtles and frogs might eventually join the pond, bringing their own rhythms to the ecosystem. This interplay of the natural and the artificial underscores her fascination with impermanence and transformation.

A Collaborative Vision at Storm King

Nora Lawrence, executive director of Storm King Art Center, emphasized the significance of Yi’s first outdoor installation. “We’ve been working with her for years to bring this vision to life,” she said. “It’s not just a sculpture—it’s a dialogue between the artist and the land, a project that continues to shape itself long after the initial creation.” Yi’s collaboration with the natural environment is a deliberate choice, as she aims to create art that transcends static form. Her installations are not mere displays; they are evolving entities, their presence tied to the cycles of growth, decay, and renewal that define the world around us.

Yi’s work also challenges the traditional role of the artist as a creator of permanence. By embedding her pieces within the landscape, she acknowledges the transient nature of both art and life. “The microbial life in these columns is sensitive to light and heat,” she said. “They’ll only be displayed for the summer season, after which they’ll return to the earth, becoming part of the history they help to narrate.” This philosophy extends to her other projects, such as the bacterial perfumes she crafted from swabs of bacteria found on successful women, or the ant colonies she designed to mimic circuit boards. Each piece is a microcosm of larger systems, inviting viewers to see the connections between the microscopic and the macroscopic.

Living Paintings and the Future of Art

Yi’s “living paintings” are another example of her innovative approach. By cultivating bacterial cultures, she transforms them into visual art, where the growth of microbes becomes a form of expression. These works, like the Winogradsky columns, rely on time and environmental conditions to unfold their narratives. The same principles apply to her art at Frieze, where the radiolaria-inspired sculpture’s movements are guided by the interplay of light and mechanical precision. “Art today is no longer confined to galleries,” she reflected. “It’s part of the world, a presence that can evolve and fade, just like the things we hold dear.”

As she continues to push the boundaries of artistic practice, Yi remains grounded in her belief that art should mirror the complexity of life. “We’re in a time where the relationship between humans and the natural world is more fragile than ever,” she said. “But art can be a bridge, a way to make the invisible visible and the temporary feel permanent.” Her work at Storm King, with its focus on ephemerality and transformation, is a bold statement in this context. By merging science, ecology, and aesthetics, Yi creates an immersive experience that questions the durability of both art and human existence. “Perhaps we’re wondering which will outlast the other—our machines or our microbes,” she added. “In the end, it’s the same thing: a cycle of creation and dissolution.”

The Legacy of a Living Art

Yi’s ability to weave together disparate elements into a cohesive vision is what sets her apart. Her installations are not isolated works but part of a larger universe, one that exists beyond the confines of a gallery or a museum. “I’ve reached a point in my career where my pieces can exist in dialogue with each other,” she said. “It’s a rare opportunity, and I’m grateful for it.” This interconnectedness is evident in the way her sculptures, perfumes, and ecosystems are all part of the same narrative. Her art invites viewers to participate in a process, to observe, to question, and to feel the weight of the unseen forces that shape our world.

At the Venice Biennale, the same curiosity that drives her work in New York was on full display. Visitors flocked to her installations, drawn by the sense of wonder they evoked. “Everyone’s lining up for the toilets,” Yi joked, a nod to the olfactory elements that accompany her pieces. Yet, it’s this blend of the sensory and the scientific that makes her work so compelling. By giving form to the intangible, Yi challenges the way we perceive art, inviting it to be more than a visual experience. Her installations are a reminder that life is fleeting, that beauty exists in the ephemeral, and that the future of art lies in embracing the unknown. As she continues to explore these themes, Yi’s work remains a testament to the power of creativity to connect us to the world in new and unexpected ways.