What shape is a biosphere? – Stephanie Van Riet, MFA Sculpture ‘26
Biosphere 2 feels simultaneously futuristic and a relic of the past. Built in the 80s, the facility was created with the intention to recreate earth ecosystems for potential intergalactic survival. The experiment revealed many things, foremost how complex and difficult it is to recreate Earth. What piqued my curiosity about Biosphere 2 was the drive to create this facility in the first place, rooted in the curiosity to understand ourselves and what is beyond us. Even more so, the experiments revealed all that we do not know. Perhaps it is within human nature to pursue the unknown, coupled with a hubris that we might possibly be able to control and contain such things.
The original planning of Biosphere 2 included decisions of what species to enclose within this manufactured, multibiome world. The Noah’s Ark-like task of choosing which trees to plant, or which animals to include within the initial enclosed experiment came down to what would be the most efficient for survival — mangrove leaves for a salty taste, goats for milk, cheese and occasionally meat, and bananas as crucial sugar source. To isolate many of the incredible organisms that make up our diverse biological world seems complicated and unnatural, but perhaps it is necessary to create a “transportable” (by intergalactic standards) earth.
During my time at Biosphere 2, I absorbed information on many research initiatives, while also contemplating what they might mean about the state of humanity and our climate. Over the years of Biosphere 2’s operation as a science facility, plants and marine life have been introduced and prioritized for relevance in climate research, such as the cacao tree, coffee plants, and coral. Due to its scale and layout, the facility is uniquely qualified to study how resilient and fragile earth ecosystems are.
Then of course, there are many ants, mosquitos and cockroaches that exist within Biosphere 2; unintended residents who may have traveled in with new soil, or the opening of doors. I often wondered what that must be like to that ant, who may have lived half of their life in the Sonoran desert only to now live in a tropical rainforest. The ant did not ask to be part of Biosphere 2, nor did it choose to exist on Biosphere 1 (earth). Nevertheless, its ongoing existence shapes out planet, through building shelter, converting living matter into waste, and its movement. It seems inevitable that with life, there will be impact — Biosphere 2 is quick to illuminate that. To quote author Robert Moor, “the question we must ask ourselves is not whether we should shape the earth, but how.”
My projection work will be presented along with a night tour at Biosphere 2 later this year. I will update this post with more information soon, along with a video the final performance.
All photos by Stephanie Van Riet