ARCS 4107 Studio 7 – Bitumen Biome (2021)

Project title

Bitumen Biome

Author

Odessa Boehm

Instructor

Émelie Desrochers-Turgeon

Course

ARCS 4107 – Studio 7

Academic term

Winter 2021

Project Description

Like a trojan horse the Bitumen Biome surprises the unwitting visitors of the Muttart Conservatory in Edmonton Alberta. Instead of visiting an arid or tropical biome, visitors are met with the unruly landscape of their own backyards, the Athabasca Oil Sands. The Bitumen Biome unearths an inaccessible landscape and translates oils origins, its systems, and the scale of environmental degrade to its visitors. Through a complete sensory experience of tailing ponds, chemical diffusers, and bird scare contractions the Bitumen Biome gives visitors a glimpse into the ecosystem of oil and allows them to experience its often-intangible effects.