Oil is condensed time – formed from the remains of prehistoric life, hidden within the Earth’s geological strata. Hardly any other substance links nature, energy and the human imagination so directly. ERES Projects focuses on a raw material which, as a source of progress and prosperity, also symbolises environmental damage and the challenges of dependence on fossil fuels. Between the Earth’s geological history and global infrastructure, a complex web unfolds in which nature, ecology, the economy and culture intertwine to form narratives of global significance.
Monira Al Qadiri’s luminous portholes link the marine world and the petrochemical industry. Goshka Macuga’s tapestry addresses environmental destruction in the Anthropocene, whilst Mark Dion’s tar sculpture highlights the vulnerability of ecosystems. Ed Ruscha’s artist’s book reveals our dependence on fossil fuel systems, and Niloufar Shirani explores the conflicting forces of oil and water.
The exhibition paints a multi-layered picture of oil as both a resource and a vehicle of cultural significance, the traces of which shape our present just as much as our visions of the future.