In Bloom, Magdalena Dukiewicz transforms the Sun Porch into a dystopian landscape that combines sound, sculpture, and light to explore the environmental impacts of pollution. Through data sonification, she modulates breathing sounds with real-time fluctuations in NYC’s air quality metrics, creating an abstract, cacophonous soundscape that evokes discomfort and unease. The title “Bloom” contrasts vitality with contamination, reflected in flower-like sculptures made from wood ear mushrooms —long valued in Chinese medicine for detoxifying the body and nourishing the lungs—copper stems, and anthers crafted from the artist’s own hair. In botany, the anther is part of the stamen—the male reproductive organ of a flower that produces pollen. Recast here from women's hair, it takes on rich cultural symbols such as femininity, spirituality, and defiance. The windows and skylights are covered with biomaterials of collagen, glycerin, and red dyes, bathing the room in a crimson glow. Addressing environmental injustice in the South Bronx, where asthma rates are disproportionately high, Bloom offers a powerful meditation on the interconnectedness of body, environment, and resilience.
