CHIMERIC BLOOM

In the heart of an anthropocentric swampland and the state of our modern-day ecology, this project explores the intersection of human influence and the primordial allure of the untouched mire. Through intensely manmade processes, a paradoxical realm emerges from the swampscape in fantastical clusters that teeter the edge of peril and paradise. This dichotomy is inherent in the swamp’s allure, where the toxicity of human impact mingles with the sublime beauty of untamed nature. Throughout this, we envision the creation of an anthropocentric garden. While a “garden” is a testament to human ingenuity and ecological restoration, we also reimagine this as an interworld of artificial natures and exuberantly colorful displays— a symbol of symbiotic splendor as well as the toxically sublime. In the scope of human history, “The Garden” is a place where Fear and Wonder occur simultaneously. From the “Jewelled Garden” of Gilgamesh, which represented a boundary between the physical and nonphysical world— to the Garden of Eden as a place of both pristine harmony and immense destruction. It is within this tapestry of mythology that this project unfolds into a contemporary narrative which echoes the ancient pursuit of creating an idyllic haven. The quest to forge a harmonious relationship with nature is now refracted through the lens of the Anthropocene