For the 9th Mercosul Biennial, four Brazilian species of freshwater and marine sponges rendered in wool, hand-dyed with plants and insects. Cooperatively produced with students from VCUarts (who traveled to participate) and artists in Porto Alegre. Installed in two recessed brick "tanks" seen only from above in the Usina do Gasometro, a former thermoelectric plant on the Guaiba lake. In this tank, "On Resisting the Separation of the Continents," two freshwater species: Oncosclera jewelli and Druila browni. The marine tank, "Gene for an Eye," is here.

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Oncosclera jewelli sponge, rendered in wool. An expedition to see the living sponges is here
Visitors looking down on Drulia browni (in portal) and Oncosclera jewelli sponges, rendered in wool. An expedition to see the living sponges is here
Photo courtesy of the Mercosul Biennial Foundation.
Drulia browni (in portal) and Oncosclera jewelli sponges, rendered in wool. An expedition to see the living sponges is here
Photo courtesy of the Mercosul Biennial Foundation.
Two recessed "tanks" in the Usina do Gasometro. L: "On Resisting the Separation of the Continents." R: "Gene for an Eye."
Exhibition view, 9th Mercosul Biennial, Usina do Gasometro, Porto Alegre.
With Lindsay Clements at the Porto Alegre studio of Marcia Braga.
Luciane Bucksdricker, project Producer, at the studio.
With VCUarts students Gavin Foster and Lindsay Clements at the studio in Porto Alegre.
Gavin Foster, Lindsay Clements, Luciane Bucksdricker making felt.
Arthur Lang and Gavin Foster at work.
Lindsay Clements and Juliana Scheid laying a "batt" of wool.
Wet felting instruction. With Juliana Scheid, Sarah Szekir-Papasavva, Francesco Settineri and Lindsay Clements.
Designing an Oncosclera jewelli sponge with Arthur Lang.
With Dr. Cecilia Volkmer Ribeiro, the marine biologist who discovered the Oncosclera jewel sponge. L to R: Juliana Scheid, Sarah Szekir-Papasavva, Gavin Foster, Lindsay Clements, Dr. Ribeiro, Francesco Settineri.
Biennial mediators and VCUarts students working in the Porto Alegre studio.
Getting to work.
Porto Alegre studio, Petropolis.
Scouring freshly-dyed green wool.
Green wool, drying at the VCUarts dye lab in Richmond, VA.
Dipping yellow wool in indigo vat to make green. With Gavin Foster.
Just-dipped green wool dripping indigo.
Indigo tests.
Indigo dip.
Yellow wool, dyed with weld, cooling.
Making yellow with dyer's weld.
Measuring weld, a plant dye that will make yellow.
Wool dyed with cutch, drying.
Measuring out cutch to make brown wool.
Measuring white wool, mordanted with Potassium Alum, for dyeing.