TechShop San Jose
300 South 2nd Street, San Jose, California 95113
Opening Friday, December 2nd, 2016, from 6 to 9pm.
The show runs from December 2nd to February 30th, 2017.

Tech Shop article about the residency here.

Plankton Explorations

An installation by Michele Guieu

Michele Guieu’s installation looks into plankton, a key element in marine ecosystems and an important provider of precious oxygen for the planet. These little organisms, on top of being vital, are also amazingly beautiful.

Michele created the elements of her plankton explorations on an Epilog Laser at Tech Shop during her art residency in Fall 2016. She used different recycled and recyclable materials to make an ensemble of shapes evocative of the great variety – and fragility – of plankton species.

The invisible world of plankton — its organisms are, for the most part, microscopic — represents food for a very large number of marine species. And phytoplankton, in particular, contributes up to 70% of the world’s oxygen to the atmosphere. As humans, we are largely unaware of the world of plankton and the critical foundation it serves for our present and future. Yet plankton needs our attention: climate change is disrupting these foundational organisms, endangering the marine food web and beyond.

“We need to respect the oceans and take care of them as if our lives depended on it. Because they do.”
Sylvia Earle, marine biologist and explorer.