PULSE - Power Under Land, Source of Energy

Vibrations, palpitations, jets, pulsations: often imperceptible movements dictate the incessant rhythm of time. They are the resolute movements of an elusive body, trampled on and submerged by the stratification of a past that is far from over. The apparent static nature of the subsoil represents a certainty that is more illusory than ever and, indeed, superficial. Sometimes it conditions the sensory perception of the surrounding reality. But the re-emergence of a primordial latent impulse, although inexhaustible, could become the opportunity for confrontation necessary to try to subvert the dominant narrative, avoiding suffocating dystopian visions, so that it is truly possible to collectively imagine another tomorrow. After all, the Earth itself generates change.

On March 21st, at the Rome headquarters of INGV (National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology), Liminal State presents PULSE – Power Under Land, Source of Energy. The installation by the duo, made up of artists Gregorio De Luca Comandini and Saverio Villirillo, aims to promote geothermal energy, that is, the source of energy that can be obtained from the heat contained in Planet Earth. It is a form of renewable, alternative and, above all, sustainable energy that can be used in different ways and for different purposes. It was discovered in Larderello, Tuscany, at the beginning of the 20th century, where the world’s first geothermal power plant was built.

Within the scope of the IRGIE (Inventory of Geothermal Resources of the Aeolian Islands) project promoted by the INGV (Italian National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology), PULSE identifies the heat of the Earth’s sphere, in all its aesthetic sacredness, as the essential resource for the possible achievement of energy independence and autonomy in territories characterized by specific geological conditions, such as the Aeolian Islands or other areas of Italy itself, counteracting climate change and encouraging the ongoing process of decarbonization.

Aware that different political choices, such as the withdrawal from international commitments and the drastic reduction of investments in research on climate change adopted by some countries, have recently aroused concern, PULSE aims to be a means of drawing attention to sustainability. In addition to influencing collective efforts to address the climate crisis, certain decisions can have significant repercussions on the socio-economic conditions of the most vulnerable countries. Therefore, it is essential to promote a research environment free from pressure and oriented towards international collaboration, with the aim of guaranteeing a sustainable and inclusive future.

The work consists of a monolith positioned in the center of the internal courtyard of the INGV, an exploration device for scientific investigation, structured like a website to be used elsewhere, and a cube of mirrors, with samples of rocks extracted from a depth of more than 1000 meters inside it, useful for understanding and learning about the geothermal systems present in the subsoil. The central installation is a digital sculpture, made with two separate two-meter-high LED walls and heating lamps. The work is programmed to activate three times a day, at regular intervals, simulating the action of a fumarole – a natural manifestation of volcanic and geothermal areas that occurs through the emanation of steam present near craters or active volcanoes. The breath of heat produced by the fumarolic manifestation attests to the inexorability of time, while the automation of this shared ritual reproduces the systematicity of biological cycles, as well as the infallible alternation of day and night. PULSE is a journey to the center of the Earth. And the reference to the enigmatic totem placed by Stanley Kubrick in the opening sequence of 2001: A Space Odyssey is quite evident: it transmits information and symbolizes the very concept of progress, reaffirming the urgency of tangible social change.

The work of Liminal State is a transmedia composition, a heuristic assemblage created with everyday objects, devices and components that can be traced back to different classifications. It promotes a progressive vision of contemporaneity, implementing a harmonious hybridization between science and art that proves functional to the development of transdisciplinary research, investigations and experiments. Conveying certain messages, often complex ones, through different forms of artistic expression means contributing to the process of democratization of scientific culture, exploiting the emotional connection established between the work and the user. During the creative act, both the artist and the scientist proceed through the decoding and recomposing of the realities they observe with the eyes of the other. Based on this method of correspondence, they can offer useful tools for understanding the present, identifying correlations and similarities, in an ideal relationship between the artist’s studio and the scientist’s laboratory.

The installation can be traced back to the movement known as Solarpunk, a proactive utopia whose objective is to contribute in an ethical way, through technological innovation, science and cultural dissemination, to the effective realization of a better future, rejecting the oppression of minorities, capitalist individualism and the exploitation of the environment. This work addresses the all too common need to satisfy mostly ephemeral needs, revealing inconsiderate egotistical attitudes towards nature. Part aesthetic tale and part educational tool, this interactive monolith calls into question those perceptive habits that are the result of the elaboration of recurring elements in anthropocentrism. Like an observatory of the future, the non-linear nature of the narration updates the experiential paradigms of new media art and environmental art in a new way, actively involving the public in the elaboration of conscious operative strategies to contribute to the imagination of scenarios that are, unfortunately, still unprecedented. Perhaps, more than a work of art, PULSE is a warning, or rather, a shared observation: the possibility of thinking about and building tomorrow is not at all an elitist privilege, but an inalienable right of the universal community.