Carlos Casas

The eruption of Krakatoa in 1883 can perhaps be considered the last grandiose natural disaster before the advent of moving images. For Casas, the historical eruption is an active producer of multiple narratives and imaginaries. Fascinated by its sublime stature and by the unique visual, sonic, and meteorological phenomena occurred in the aftermath of the eruption, the artist aims to investigate its socio-symbolic entanglements with Indonesia’s colonial history while also continuing his longstanding meditation on how natural disasters affect our understanding of nature and of our position on the planet. Through archival research and on-site shooting, the artist will collect historical, optical, and sonic data from various research stations and archives in Singapore and Indonesia in preparation for a new work.