DIATOMACEOUS EARTH

Tierra de Diatomeas is a project by Susana, Inés Cámara Leret and María Boto Ordóñez whose objective is to investigate the relationship between the human being and the Castilian-Leonese geographic parcels.

This research is part of a collaboration with the Diatomology Laboratory of the University of León, using diatoms as a metaphor to create a dialogue and thus discover historical facts, draw existing narratives and discuss desirable futures of the land, the waters, and its people.

Diatoms are microorganisms that are very sensitive to chemical changes in water and are therefore used to analyze ecological parameters such as water quality.

Being organisms covered by a silica wall, they are fossilizable and, through their study, it is possible to analyze the agrarian cycles marked for example by the arrival of the Romans, the industrial revolution, or livestock.

Their easy dispersal means that they can be found in any environment, not limited to places where there is or is water. In turn, diatoms also show an invasion map through the migration, dispersal, and spread of species as a result of human activities.

Tierra de Diatomeas is a collaboration between Susana, María Boto Ordóñez and Inés Cámara Leret, accompanied by researcher Dr. Saúl Blanco Lanza (Diatomology Laboratory of the University of León) and researcher specialized in Botany Dr. Estrella Alfaro.

Tierra de Diatomeas has the support of the University of León, represented by the Area of Cultural Activities and the Department of Diatomology of the Faculty of Biological Sciences, as well as by The University College Ghent, School of Arts KASK. The project will take place during a one-month residency at Lab 987 (MUSAC) in León, Spain.

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