Burkholderia Crystalized

These glass objects was first made as part of an installation, commissioned by Momentum Biennial, 9th edition (Norway) and was a culmination of almost 4 years work research in outback Australia, covering Tasmania West coast, NSW black opal district and the Goldfields in Western Australia. However, I see the installation as a cluster of works relating to each other, but at the same time operating on different levels and independently. Burkholderia Crystalized is 2 plinths with 11 hand blown glass pieces. The idea was to visually give attention to something 'invisible' but very insidious and alive; burkholderia pseudomallei is an ancient microbe bacteria that affects humans and animals severely. It used to be defined as a 'rare tropical disease' but due to heavy mining, pipe lining throughout the Northern Territory into the South of Australia, recent years has seen a rise in infections as an effect of climate change. To quote Regine Debatty from WMMNA: "Burkholderia pseudomallei is of the insidious kind. When in contact with humans and animal through air or skin wounds, this microscopic bacterium can cause a deadly disease called Melioidosis that eats into the brain and spinal cord in a matter of days. The bacterium normally lives into the soil and its emergence is one of the unintended consequences of the increase in mining, oil and gas extraction in Australia. Over the past few years, the country has seen a surge in the number of Melioidosis cases and the disease is expected to spread south with climate change. Persson managed to render visible the presence of the microscopic bacteria in the most poetical and visually seducing way. She magnified them as beautiful organic patterns fossilized inside hand-blown glass sculptures."