26 June 2021 to 28 November 2021
Image: Christopher Langton, Colonies (detail), 2021, digital render.
Christopher Langton is known for his sculptures and large inflatables that explore themes around pop culture, video gaming and science fiction. His exhibition Colonies, which was commissioned for Hazelhurst Arts Centre, was an immersive installation which explored ideas of space colonisation and organisms such as bacteria occupying hosts while considering issues around our shared ecology. With obvious reference to science fiction and biology, the gallery was filled with asteroids, meteorites and other celestial bodies along with real and imagined organisms in the shape of viruses, bacteria and fungi.
The works in Colonies were developed over two years and were designed using 3D modelling software. Three large inflatable works were constructed using patterns and PVC which were then painted and later inflated onsite. All other works were produced using the artist’s large-scale 3D printer which was self-designed and built using open source information and software. The works were printed using polylactic acid or PLA, a sustainable thermoplastic polyester which is produced from corn starch and sugar cane and is biodegradable. The works were printed in sections with hollow interiors to minimise weight, and are then glued together, coated with a silicone layer and hand painted using pigments and a variety of techniques.
Colonies was born of the artist’s personal experience of a viral infection, but over the last two years – through the pandemic, numerous lockdowns and subsequent gallery closures – it metastasised to something more universal. Playing with scale so that asteroids and bacteria became human sized, the work magnified the cellular to create a sense of cartoonish horror and appealing wonderment.
Visitors to Hazelhurst could engage with the exhibition through an augmented reality app accessed on their smart phone. Developed by Zome specifically for Colonies, the app enabled visitors to learn more about the various figures and forms throughout the installation.
View the digital catalogue below.