Emerging Ecologies
Royal College of Art
2023
Research and film by Charissa Turner and Angelica Scorgie
The film centres itself around 3 more-than-human bodies that thrive in toxic environments. The common reed, Blue-green algae and specific species of Lichen all share the ability to adapt swiftly to shifting conditions. As humans, we commonly refer to them as ‘invasive’ characters, though through our anthropogenic acts we encourage these creatures to emerge and proliferate, accelerated by eutrophication. Phosphorus, a naturally occurring forever chemical exploited by humanity for agricultural gain, facilitates the nutrient capacity to create the desired conditions in which each of these species thrive, simultaneously creating toxic environments for others.
The structure of the film draws on each species as protagonists through which to tell a first-hand account of the effects of phosphorus’ exploitation, through which each protagonist laments on their past lives and provides a voice for the emerging ecological conditions that are currently taking form and shaping the landscape. Utilising the computer program ‘Blender’ and combining this with first-hand film footage, we attempt tuncover the complex, entangled, micro-lives of these species.
Phosphorus is essential to all life—an elemental component of DNA, bone, cell membranes, and the energy molecule ATP. Since the mid-19th century, humans have been transforming the Earth’s phosphorus cycle by converting phosphate rock into chemical fertilizers.