Hyperaccumulators are plants that grow on soils with a high heavy metal content and are able to store minerals such as copper, nickel, zinc or cadmium in their biomass. They have found an evolutionary niche in volcanic soil, industrial heaps or former mining and open-cast mining areas, in which they do not simply ignore or bypass the problematic substances, but instead absorb a large proportion of them. The stored heavy metals can be extracted and reused, which turns the plants into biological ore mines and soils can be rehabilitated over the years. This is also the case in industrial areas and landfills, which are located in the Austrian Altlastenatlas, an index for contaminated sites in Austria.
In their artistic work “Toxic Stories”, servus.at community members Raphael Perret and Andreas Zingerle immerse themselves in the topic and present stories, events and encounters that they document during the process-based research trip, e.g. in the form of an audio guide.
Visit the Project website:
https://toxic-stories.radical-openness.org/
Project Website designed by Juan Linares Ceballos
Panel Presentation at #AMRO22:
Hyperaccumulators & Toxic Stories
16th June 2022 with Andreas Zingerle, Raphael Perret, Tiziana Centofanti, Markus Puschenreiter
“Toxic Stories” at STWST48x7 OUT OF MATTER.’
10th-12th Sept 2021 in the Stadtwerkstatt STWST
Audio Guide Installative Narration and
Talk/Lecture/Workshop -> Sat, 11. Sept. 15:00-16:00, Foyer, 1st Floor
Article: Toxische Geschichte @Versorgerin
presentation article by Andreas Zingerle and Raphael Perret in the Versorgerin (in German).