Post Carbon—Carbon as Energy, Life Substance and Currency

‘Post-Carbon—Carbon as Energy, Life Substance, and Currency’

‘Post Carbon’ is an interdisciplinary dialogue, expedition, and research project rooted in art and design. By incorporating perspectives from ecology, material science, and product manufacturing, and by inviting the participation of social enterprises, non-profits, academic professionals, and sustainable brands, the project presents various pathways in the post-carbon process. The project integrates research with local issues through a series of thematic programs.

With the support of Pro Helvetia Shanghai, seven Swiss artists (groups) and cultural practitioners participated in this exchange online. Over 5000 audiences listened to the forums live or attended on-site.

Participants

Sessions in Shenzhen, Beijing, Shanghai

Blue Carbon and Coastal Ecosystem

‘Blue Carbon’ co-hosted by Design Society on 29 and 30 June 2024, invites artists, scientists, urban planners from China and Switzerland to explore blue carbon storage, mangroves, and coral ecosystems in coastal cities like Shenzhen through research visits, workshops, and forums.

The ocean is not only the story of the origin of life but also holds half of the world’s biomass, regulating PH balance and absorbing carbon dioxide. Phytoplankton uses photosynthesis to form organic matter, which is then transferred to the deep sea. As the largest carbon reservoir, the ocean’s carbon storage capacity surpasses that of terrestrial ecosystems. The secrets of marine and wetland/coastal life also involve processes of human occupation, extraction, cultivation, naturalisation, and denaturalisation.

Invited by Comple-X.NET, we visited the Shenzhen Mangrove Conservation Area, where Associate Professor Zhou Haichao explained the mangrove ecosystem. Dr. Feng introduced deep-sea oil extraction and oceanic low-carbon technologies. Marie Greismar shared insights on coral conservation and cross-disciplinary artistic practices, while Knowbotiq also presented their work on peat bogs in the Scottish Highlands. Spanning from coastal areas to shallow waters and then to the deep sea, the research visits, workshops, and forums gradually enter an otherworldly realm, exploring the reproduction and extinction of marine life, the accumulation and circulation of matter, as well as urban planning and ocean farm management.

‘In participating in this interdisciplinary discussion on “blue carbon and complex issues,” I’m sharing from my limited background in ecological research, focusing on the complexity of mangrove coastal wetland ecosystems in terms of their natural characteristics and adaptive management. I strongly agree with the idea that “ecology is a bridge between science and society.” This concept also aligns with how art provides an interdisciplinary understanding and representation of natural ecosystems. Both have a complexity and beauty that may be hard to quantify, but can certainly be felt.’

— Zhou Haichao, Shenzhen University College of Life and Marine Sciences

The Resonance of Clouds and Earth: The Digitisation of Carbon

‘Carbon and Digitalisation’ co-hosted with Beijing 798CUBE on 17, 24, 29 August 2024, invites artists, social enterprises, professors, and pioneering brands from China and Switzerland to discuss the digitized form of carbon and its footprints from earth to sky, from carbon storage and capture, to weather modification technique.

Carbon is both the essence of life and energy, as well as a form of sediment; it embodies objective rationality while also entangling ambiguous power dynamics. It comprises concrete microstructures, yet it hides in abstract forms within the evolution of electricity-based computation. The digitisation of carbon allows this medium, which spans various systems, to become measurable, traceable, and tradable. Our current challenge is to ask how, after converting ecological footprints into data or currency, we can use this machine-rooted computational control to speculate about a different future than the one we are currently investing in.

The film ‘Twenty-One Percent’ by Ursula Biemann and Mo Diener, explores the relationship between human consciousness and the 21% oxygen in the air, emphasizing the close connection between chemical elements, the materiality of Earth, and human thought. Fragmentin’s research use artificial intelligence to predict the future expansion of the water grid while examining the relationship between digitisation and ecological protection. The social enterprise MyH2O emphasizes collaboration among villagers, youth, and government, stating that residents’ understanding and willingness to act on water are foundational for governance, with digital monitoring complementing local experience. Through these data, stories from distant ice layers and the dilemmas of rural wells can enter our awareness, awakening thoughts and actions regarding the environment.

Meanwhile, Professor Guan Dabo from Tsinghua Institute of Carbon Neutrality uses powerful data coupling to illustrate the impact of climate change on global value chains, integrating carbon loops into the concept of “value chain.” Janis Polar’s work explore the environmental impacts of oil shale and rare earth mining, as well as their relationship with historical media technologies, showcasing the material extraction processes behind a green future. The artist collective Black Void presents the digital climate identities of global cities through data-generated art and the application of negative carbon materials, while also contemplating alternative post-carbon futures through design fiction. While curator Martina Huber speaks about art’s role on shaping our environmental future, whose work creatively bridge the ongoing ecological crisis and public awareness.

Additionally, the workshop ‘Scents Extracted with Supercritical Carbon Dioxide—Climate Change and Scent Design’ uses chemical particles in the air to precisely and sensibly awaken the public’s olfactory memory of urban climate change.

‘When we talk about post-carbon futures, does each region have a homogeneous post-carbon future? What is the relationship between the past of fossil energy and the post-carbon future? How do we incorporate geopolitical factors and local histories (such as colonial history, socialist construction history, and the processes of fossil energy modernity) into this discussion?

In the context of the climate crisis, energy transition, and low-carbon development, can we adopt an ecological perspective to revisit the history and culture of fossil energy? I seek to find the energy within fossil fuel extraction sites, viewing energy as an ethical relationship of mutual care and resonance rather than merely as a resource to be exploited.’

— Mia Yu, Art Historian, Curator, Artist, Educator

‘As artist and curator, our daily lives revolve around connecting art with society, politics, and the environment. We aim to enable everyday people to physically experience the links between art and these topics. In doing so, we can understand the power of these issues from multiple perspectives, envision a better future, and reflect on the rapid changes occurring in our current society.’

— Martina Huber, Founder and Curator of Awareness in Art

The Pulse of Plants: Green Carbon and Urban Metabolism

‘Green Carbon’ co-hosted with BY ART MATTERS in Hangzhou on 21 and 22 September 2024, focuses on plants and microorganisms. It invites artists, designers, pioneering brands, and plant experts from China and Switzerland to explore the significant roles of plants and microorganisms in human social activities.

In participating in human social production and urban metabolism, plants subtly and secretly facilitate the energy exchange and migration of life between organic and inorganic materials through their unique mechanisms of self-organisation and self-regulation. They partially strip away and reorganise urban textures, transforming and regenerating. These plants may be found in city centers or thriving in hidden corners and backlands, serving as urban oases or as food on our plates. These green landscapes often serve as important subjects for exploring the tense relationships between ‘nature,’ ‘urban productivity,’ and ‘carbon cycles.’

JIANGNANBUYI Group Fabric Planning Expert Mr. Rong has introduced fashion fermentation technology, which includes extracting bio-based fibers from natural and animal fibers, using microbial pigments for dyeing, and innovatively converting carbon emissions into fiber raw materials through fermentation. Shen Yan from Ningbo Wliplant Intelligent Equipment Co., Ltd. introduced plant factory technology, redefining the boundaries and efficiency of agriculture. Maya Minder shared on the topic of ‘Green Open Food Revolution’, a dietary proposal to become Homo Photosyntheticus. Anne-Laure Franchette presented her artistic practice and doctoral research ‘Baustelle und Botanik’, which explores the connections between vagabond weeds that grow between the cracks of our urbanity, urban metabolism and a family history of migration and physical labor.

‘By attending the Post Carbon series organised by black void and Yixuan I felt this transdisciplinary exchange was truly meaningful. To tap into circles of artists, scientists and industrials that work on the edge of technology on the pressing issues of a near future. From here to there to foster terrestrial connectivity through art and science to increase empathy for the non-human and awareness in ecology.’

— Maya Minder, Swiss artist

‘I’m thrilled to be a guest in the “Pulse of Plants, Green Carbon, and Urban Metabolism” program. The theme evokes an image of a city breathing like a living organism, where greenery pulses like invisible veins, connecting its life force. Plants become an omnipresent “green internet,” silently regulating energy flow and the city’s rhythm.

In the future, cities may be “planted,” growing from roots and branches instead of concrete. Skyscrapers could be supported by vines, with humans evolving into Maya Minder’s “Photosynthetic Humans,” with our consciousness gradually connecting to the silent life of plants, forming a vast, green ecosystem.

This event blended botany, sustainable materials, and cyber agriculture, sparking new thoughts on urban development and ecological balance. The exchange of ideas has been incredibly inspiring, revealing countless potential possibilities and practical paths. I’m grateful to the organisers and look forward to more such dialogues!’

— Xijie Rong, JIANGNANBUYI Group Fabric Planning Expert

1. Reference: Adrian Lahoud, ‘Climates: Architecture and the Planetary Imaginary’, Columbia Books on Architecture and the City, Lars Müller Publishers, 2016  ↩︎