Martha Atienza's Ecological Installations at Silverlens Gallery Explore Climate Adaptation

Martha Atienza's solo exhibition at Silverlens Gallery in Manila featured installations and videos examining human adaptation to ecological crises. The show included works like Equation of State II: Rhizophora stylosa, where mangrove saplings were mechanically dipped into a water tank containing aquarium fish, mimicking tidal rhythms. Two videos documented coastal life on Bantayan Island in Cebu, showing fisher-folk communities vulnerable to rising sea levels. Another three-channel video, Tarong/Kaongkod..., depicted a diver moving with ocean waves, illustrating human resilience against natural forces. Equation of State I presented a single illuminated sapling in a darkened room, creating tension through longer intervals between water immersions. The exhibition ran from December 7, 2019, to January 11, 2020, exploring themes of endurance and responsiveness to slow-onset climate events like sea-level rise. Atienza's work considered whether human agency in crises could be more dynamic, akin to fish reacting to disruptions. The artist's focus on ecological relationships and climate concerns built on her ongoing artistic investigations.