Intercontinental Land Exchange

 

This sculpture consisted of swapping two, 100 pound pieces of land with each other from opposite sides of the planet. One hundred pounds of China was exchanged with one hundred pounds of the United States. The biological, social and political repercussions of transportation, migration and trade are explored in the sculpture. Each piece of land was sterilized with heat to prevent transportation of non-native biological pests to its new location. After the exchange took place microbes, seeds and other life from the surrounding area gradually colonize the lifeless soil until foreign and native become indistinguishable. Obtaining the permits and necessary paperwork needed to legally transport the soil became an important part of the piece. Forms, letters applications and permits all became part of the documentation of the project.