Black Grass

The disastrous events that occurred as a result of the explosion of the Chernobyl power plant on April 26, 1986 forced almost a half a million people to abandon everything and never return. Though undoubtedly devastating, the Chernobyl disaster was not all destruction. Within the borders of the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, something beautiful and unexpected has taken over the poisonous cityscape: life. In her video project Black Grass, Rachel Yurkovich documents the thriving environment that has taken over post-humanity. Her work focuses on the new life and beauty that has blossomed, unchecked, all over the Exclusion Zone. Flora and fauna have supplanted humanity; making a home where they may not be welcome to elsewhere. The vestiges of man rot and decay away while Nature reclaims her land. Chernobyl and the nearby city of Pripyat present some challenging themes that Yurkovich in turn poses to the viewer: the profound consequences (good and bad) of human error; the inevitability of life continuing without us; and the unrelenting question of who has dominion over the world. Yurkovich's video project is accompanied by illustrations of some of the organisms she came across during her trip.

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Website: http://sculpturecenter.org/rachel_yurkovich/