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TOSCA TERÁN
interdisciplinary, ecofeminist,
human holobiont
Growing up a first-generation Mexican-American woman, I have certainly experienced both privilege and discrimination.
Often perceived as European from my mother's Scandinavian/German heritage I have always felt more in tune with my father's blood and family's culture.
Feeling both of this world yet not of this world. Seen yet, not seen.
I often describe myself as an interdisciplinary, human holobiont whose work is a confluence of art, ecology, and craft.
My work has been featured at The Harwood Museum, SOFA New York, The Toronto Design Exchange, MOCA Toronto, The Ontario Science Centre, Music Works, Vector Festival, Studio Art & Craft Canada, SONICA21, Glasna Music Magazine, The Mushroom UK, NAISA (New Adventures In Sound Art), Ars Electronica and Venice Immersive.
In 2021 my MyceliaVR performance was a special event at The 78th Venice International Film Festival, and opened for AMAZE./Berlin22. MyceliaVR was nominated for and won the Spirit of the Festival award at the Raindance Film Festival.
I am grateful for the awarded funding support and residencies I have received from the Goethe-Institut Montreal, The Canada Arts Council, BigCi Environmental Award Australia, Ontario Arts Council, the Toronto Arts Council, SUNY Buffalo’s Coalesce Centre for Biological Art for her immersive, expanded reality, nonhuman bio-sonification projects.
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Statement
I view my research as a collaborative effort with the non-Human entities I touch, caress, grow. Having ‘minds’ of their own, current work explores sculpting forms with living mycelium, and bio-sonification. My fascination with mycelium (the root structure of mushrooms) is compounded by several factors: fungi are neither plant nor animal and fungi can clean up ecological disasters.
I have found my works that incorporate realtime, nonhuman bio-sonification illicit strong emotional, empathic responses towards nonhuman organisms.
Sound Works: https://www.nanotopia.net
https://www.nanotopia.bandcamp.com
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/nanotopia
Instagram: @MothAntler @nanotopia_net
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My Work
Increasingly my practice employs temporal and narrative explorations of self/identity through bioart experiments alongside collaborative mixed reality experiences.
I enjoy creating immersive environments, unnatural History Dioramas, and performative, wearable structures. COVID-19 restrictions have enabled further sound developments and fungi cultivation.
Creating artworks designed to raise awareness of environmental and societal issues. Often these works express scientific data obtained through collaborations with scientists, physicists and engineers that take the form of sound art, bio-art and design.
I started sharing my artistic collaborations with Algae, Physarum polycephalum, and Mycelium in 2016, translating biodata from non-human organisms into music.
I feel very fortunate and grateful to collaborate with the artists, coders and developers I've met through this journey so far!