Based in Eva lives and works between Rotterdam and Ljubljana, Ana Laura lives and works in Ljubljana
Website https://evagaribaldi.com/Swamp_Matter
Research project The Stones Only Appear to be Non-living
Location Škocjan Caves Public Service Agency, Slovenia. Aksioma Institute for Contemporary Art, Ljubljana. Swamp_Matter, Rotterdam / Ljubljana
Can you describe your research project?
The project investigates karst caves, particularly speleothems. As slow-growing formations they act as records of environmental changes, making them fascinating within the context of the Anthropocene. By examining the ways surface water carrying sediments and toxins infiltrate these cave systems, we are exploring how human activity leaves lasting imprints on these geological formations. We are examining the Škocjan Caves in Slovenia as a focal point of this research. Our aim is to visualize and speculate about the long-term effects of climate change and pollution on this natural environment through a mix of digital media and immersive spatial installation.
Why have you chosen this topic?
We are fascinated by the hidden narratives of the Earth’s geological past and how the Anthropocene is altering natural processes in ways we may not fully grasp. Caves and their role as climate archives, where human impacts—although brief in geological time—leave permanent marks. They allow us to visualize the deep timescales beyond human comprehension and offer a space to speculate on environmental futures. This project seeks to bridge art and science, pushing the boundaries of both disciplines to better understand our environmental impact.
What research methods do you use?
Our research combines fieldwork, digital media, and speculative fiction that come to life in immersive spatial installations. We conducted field research in collaboration with the Škocjan Caves Public Service Agency, using methods like photogrammetry, sound recordings (done by beepblip, Ida Hirsenfelder), and deep listening sessions. Field research is central to our methodology and practice. We believe it is essential for us as artists to immerse ourselves physically in the environments we are studying. This on-site experience allowed us to engage with the landscape directly and form a more intimate understanding of its temporal and material complexities. We are translating this data into digital worlds integrating immersive storytelling through non-human narrators, blending scientific data with artistic representation.
In what way did your research affect your artistic practice?
Our work is speculative and future-oriented, we do not want to only address the aesthetics of climate change but examine its unseen impacts through the lens of art. Working closely with scientists at the Škocjan Caves has expanded our understanding of ecological processes and geological timescales, which has informed our visual and narrative language. It has pushed us to think critically about time, materiality, and the role art can play in communicating complex ecological narratives.
What are you hoping your research will result in, both personally and publicly?
Personal is political. We don’t see a big distinction between our personal and public motivation. On a personal level, our work is about confronting our own eco-grief and feelings of helplessness. It’s important for us to tell the story of climate change through a visceral, emotional connection to the landscape. We believe that connecting people to the narrative of specific environments can inspire them to care and imagine. With our projects, we seek to challenge the dominant capitalist, extractive narrative that often simplifies complex ecological issues into a singular story. Instead, we aim to present climate change—an incomprehensibly vast “hyperobject”—through grounded, specific stories of landscapes and non-human agents, making these issues more tangible and relatable. Through our interdisciplinary approach, we want to encourage people to think differently about time, materiality, and the Anthropocene’s slow violence on natural environments.
