Swimming With Plankton 3D – Iona Scott (ground floor of The Onca Gallery from 14 – 21 Feb)
An immersive underwater adventure into the microscopic world of plankton, originally commissioned for Kew Gardens as a permanent exhibit in 2004. The piece shrinks you to the size of a pinhead, bringing you face to face with Phytoplankton: single-celled ocean-living plants which form the base of the food chain. These organisms serve as food for zooplankton, krill and larger aquatic animals and fish. Like land-based plants, they take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen, through photosynthesis; and in this way they are instrumental in helping to counter the effects of global warming.
With Swimming With Plankton, Iona Scott aims to create totally immersive microsopic environment in an effort to reconnect ourselves to that part of us which is nature.
Since completing a BA (Hons) in Fine Art (Sculpture) in 1991, Iona has been exhibiting her paintings and hiring out her sculptures of plankton and sea creatures to music videos, clubs and galleries in London and San Francisco with the aim of emphasising the importance of nature within our lives. After studying an MA in Computer Animation and Digital Special Effects at Bournemouth University in 1997, she gained experience working with the Natural History Museum and in the Computer Games Industry as a 3D Artist. More recently she has been leading Art Workshops for children in schools and in 2004 she completed a Commission for a permanent installation of her Stereoscopic 3D Animation ‘Swimming with Plankton’ for the Marine Display under the Palm House at the Royal Botanical Gardens Kew.
Exhibition Dates: Friday 14 Feb – Friday 21 Feb.
Gallery Opening Hours: Mon & Tue Closed. Wed – Fri 12pm – 7pm. Sat & Sun 11am – 6pm.
Organised by Brighton Science Festival. More events here – note that not all events are free