photos: christopher verheyden (right)

At the intersection of art and science, metamorphosis (2018), demonstrates the transformation of organic matter from a wet to a dry state. It involves not only the natural phenomena of evaporation, but also the bacterial, biochemical reaction caused by insects contaminating organic matter, as well as an appreciation for dynamic, slow pace and ephemeral matter processes. In metamorphosis , an organic soft sculpture is made by assembling several rectangular pieces of dry agar (a jelly-like substance derived from red algae) that Ferracin had previously boiled in water and left to dry for ten days at a constant temperature over three months. During the drying phase, present bacteria created a unique surface covered in dotted black imprints. To create metamorphosis , Ferracin also over-exposed some dry agar pieces in the sun, allowing the matter to contract to the limit of visibility. Ferracin then sewed each small piece into a long sculpture. The finished product calls to mind the vertebrae of a spinal column, and was exhibited like an archaeological object. It also symbolises the length of time invested to create metamorphosis .