Nominee for Gijs Bakker Award
Premiered at Graduation Show 2023 during Dutch Design Week; October 2023
Chemical Affinities traces the impacts of ammonia fertilisers in the Alentejo region of southern Portugal, examining material and territorial manifestations such as cultivation patterns, artefacts and infrastructure. The history of Alentejo is a paradoxical one, characterised by both abandonment and extraction, with livelihoods and nature facing increasing strain as a result of climate challenges. Aiming to problematise the role of chemicals in accelerating and managing growth, the project investigates the complex relationships between the entangled histories of soil fertility, energy, chemical industries and image-making technologies. The objective operational gaze of the camera is challenged through the juxtaposition of different materialities: high-resolution images of Alentejo’s landscape are contrasted with visceral granular Super 8 field recordings developed and toned using ammonia-based chemical processes.Through the use of moving images, the project explores a possible chemical ethnography of material and visual culture through the lens of fertilisers
8' 51''
4K, sound, colour
Written and directed by: Miguel Teodoro
Sound Design: Coldest Winter
Voice and Fieldrecordings: Miguel Teodoro
Graphic elements: Irene Peixoto
GRADUATION PROJECT MA GEO-DESIGN – DESIGN ACADEMY EINDHOVEN
