Clarissa Tossin's Sci-Fi Amazonian Works Featured at Art Basel Hong Kong 2019
At Art Basel Hong Kong 2019, Brazilian artist Clarissa Tossin showcases new pieces in the Discoveries sector, represented by Commonwealth and Council. Her work draws inspiration from Octavia E. Butler's Xenogenesis trilogy, depicting the Amazon as a habitat for the Oankali, human-alien hybrids, following Earth's ecological devastation. Tossin links Butler's Ooloi to the concept of cultural cannibalism found in the Brazilian Anthropophagic Manifesto, emphasizing survival. By critiquing global capitalism and colonialism, she highlights the geological impact of consumer culture, advocating for collective change and criticizing the Mars space race as a diversion from pressing environmental challenges. In 2018, her piece Ch’u Mayaa (2017) was displayed at Hong Kong's K11 Art Foundation.
Key facts
- Clarissa Tossin is featured in the Discoveries sector of Art Basel Hong Kong 2019.
- She is represented by Commonwealth and Council gallery based in Los Angeles.
- Her works are inspired by Octavia E. Butler's Xenogenesis trilogy (1987-89).
- Tossin connects Butler's Ooloi to the Brazilian Anthropophagic Manifesto.
- The Amazon is a recurring site in her work to investigate global commodity chains and colonial forces.
- She grew up in Brasília, which influenced her interest in counter-narratives.
- The works address consumer society's geological footprint and the space race to Mars.
- In 2018, she exhibited video work Ch’u Mayaa (2017) at K11 Art Foundation in Hong Kong.
Entities
Artists
- Clarissa Tossin
- Octavia E. Butler
Institutions
- Art Basel Hong Kong
- Commonwealth and Council
- K11 Art Foundation
- Emerald City
Locations
- Hong Kong
- Los Angeles
- Brazil
- Amazon
- Brasília
- Fordlandia
- Belterra
- Mars