Bernd Nicolaisen, ZerOne – First Life, 2019 - 2024

EXPLORING WITH HIDDEN FINDS OF THE EARTH: WORKING WITH LIGHT - TIME – REFLECTIONS

Bernd Nicolaisen explores hidden finds from the history of the earth, which he finds in seemingly untouched, magical places. What he investigates and abstracts in his work in collaboration with scientists such as glaciologists, astrophysicists and geologists is the interaction and interplay of light in and on materials such as water, ice, stone and wood.

FIRST LIFE ON OUR PLANET - OVERVIEW
His project is about scientific investigations and their artistic interpretations in the context of the relativity of our concept and understanding of time. Martin Van Kranendonk from the University of New South Wales and Kathleen Campbell from the University of Auckland supported him with their knowledge. The work spans the areas of the Pilbara, Western Australia and the Hot Springs of New Zealand. The works were created between 2019 and 2024.

The collaboration with Martin Van Kranendonk began in 2019. He invited Bernd to the research project at North Pole Dome, West Pilbara. Martin is scientifically concerned with the first signs of life in stones, with the exciting and mysterious time on our planet Earth. These are microfossils of microorganisms permineralized in Australian rocks that are 3.458 billion years old. The age of the rock is very impressive in the image FIRST LIFE FUSION, #973. Martin: “The four organic nodules are encapsulated traces of organic matter almost 3.5 billion years old. They are the earliest evidence of life.”

The Hot Springs in New Zealand are considered a “living copy” of the rock formations in Pilbara, Western Australia. Professor Kathleen Campbell from the University of Auckland supported Bernd in 2023 with the work around the documentation in FRIST LIFE FUSION the emergence of the first life on our planet. These developmental processes are now being researched around hot springs (microbes, sinter stairs and stone structures). Kathleen Campbell also works with NASA, providing her knowledge on Mars exploration.

PHOTOGRAPH
The focus of Nicolaisen‘s photographs in FRIST LIFE FUSION is on the emergence of first life and the surfaces and structures of some of the oldest rock formations on our planet. It is exciting that geological time periods are juxtaposed with photographic time spans and that together they create image abstractions of naturally created and shaped rocks that are scientifically explainable and can be assigned accordingly.

STRATAGRAM
Nicolaisen‘s work with the Stratagrams moves even further towards artistic interpretation of the geological traces found on site. They start where photography reaches its limits. They move away from the pure photographic documentary image and are intended to make visible what exists hidden in the depths of the earth.

Special thanks to:
Professor Martin Van Kranendonk, University of New South Wales and
Professor Kathleen Campbell, University of Auckland.

Ngati Tahu-Ngati Whaoa Runanga Trustees, who are the landowners of the geothermal areas featured in this project; Orakei Korako- and Waiotapu–Team.

Adam Love and the Factum Arte Team
Graphic Design: Walter Staehli
Color Grading: Fabust
Post-Production: Nicolas Sturm
Content: Daniel Blochwitz
Film: Photographed and filmed by Bernd Nicolaisen
Edit: Cédric Marville