This installation is a woven gesture—an offering, an altar, and a prayer—addressing the existential threats South Florida faces from rising sea levels. Created from hundreds of net weavings begun in 2021, the work is a meditation through repetitive action. Each gesture is an intentional act of sacred expenditure, drawing from Georges Bataille’s notion of dépense—a release of energy that transcends utility and enters the realm of the sacred. Layered and tied together, the weavings utilize various materials, including monofilament warps, cotton crochet wefts, hand-dyed cotton yarn, and repurposed wire cords and rope. I also consider the aesthetics of "ghost nets"—abandoned fishing nets that become entangled with debris in the ocean—representative of our destructive relationship with the sea.
The title, A Circuit of Cosmic Energy, is drawn from Bataille’s writings and reflects his vision of energy as an interconnected flow. This installation channels that concept, with each gesture contributing to a larger spiritual and ecological “circuit”. Beyond its aesthetic qualities, the work is deeply rooted in the Afro-Cuban religion, Santería. Yemayá, the goddess of the ocean, embodies the immense power and nurturing nature of the sea. Her worship serves as a framework of survival and resistance, a legacy stemming from the resilience of the enslaved people who secretly practiced Santería during Spain's colonial rule. The nets used in the installation cast intricate shadows, evoking the shadow spaces where Santería thrived in defiance of colonial oppression. In this context, the nets are not merely material but become charged vessels, holding the imprints of sacred gestures and spiritual energy.
With rising sea levels threatening the very existence of Miami, the nets act as a poignant prayer and plea. As an offering to Yemayá and a reflection on the fragile balance between humanity and the natural world, this work transforms the materials into an act of sacred release—an expenditure of energy that connects the personal to the cosmic and the ecological.
