Beyond Coral White
France
2020
In our collective imagination, coral seems to be a talisman against evil, a coveted collectable item or a creature endowed with healing powers. In the real world as in fiction, they have fascinated humans for millions of years.
Yet, over 40% of coral reefs have been destroyed over the past thirty years. Inspired by a17th-century engraving by Philips Galle depicting the plundering of the deep sea, Marie Lukasiewicz has developed a layered visual inquiry into the bleaching and destruction of coral and the exploitation of its properties by the pharmaceutical industry.
Blending documentary narratives and creations in her artistic practice, she challenges our persistent destructive consuming habits. Her work suggests that “we are nature destroying itself”.
— Project carried out with the support of Parallel Platform
Portfolio
About the artist
Marie Lukasiewicz is a Franco-British artist born in 1982. Her artistic practice focuses on environmental and pollution issues. Highly environmentally aware, her work is based on scientific studies. Her photographic projects, in which derision plays a key part, always maintain a boundary between reality and fiction.