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BIOS by Radix Lucis (studio of Luis Bernardo Guzmán)

By Jenny Zeller

BIOS is a biologic installation that acts as an artificial ecosystem, designed around the specific conditions of Bernheim and the L+A+N+D site, allowing the growth and development of multiple native species in the long term. This experience is designed to support the emergence of biodiversity as a response to climate change.

BIOS by Radix Lucis, the studio of Luis Bernardo Guzmán

BIOS was conceptualized by Radix Lucis, the studio of Luis Bernardo Guzmán, whose artistic practice aims to explore and establish new potential relationships between technology, living organisms, and the biosphere. The structural components of the work were produced using biomaterials, specifically a biocompatible thermoplastic, which will slowly biodegrade over time. Soil and latex are built into the structure that can support the development of different species of plants, mosses, fungi, native grasses, and woodland wildflowers.

Artist, Luis Bernardo Guzmán

 

The work is entirely experimental in nature and destined to change over time as it grows and adapts to the natural elements in which it was created. It was developed in Bernheim’s first ever “studio in the woods”, which presented new adventures and challenges of getting materials, water, and electricity to the site, during one of the wettest and windiest Kentucky springs in recent memory.

BIOS couldn’t have been completed without the help of a dedicated team of art volunteers, including Bernheim’s President and CEO, Dr. Mark K. Wourms.

 

Discover the inspiration and creation of BIOS from the artist,  Luis Bernardo Guzmám. 


Radix Lucis, the studio of Luis Bernardo Guzmán, is a Chilean bio artist currently investigating the areas of bio-design and astrobiology for the development of sustainable environments on Earth and in space. He is a member of the Space and Planetary Exploration Laboratory at Universidad de Chile, and a PhD student at Northumbria University in Britain, where he is researching the integration of art and aerospace technology.

Fun fact: Radix Lucis produced one of the earliest works of art in space, aboard the International Space Station, as part of the Sojourner 2020 project under MIT’s Space Exploration initiative.

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