toxodon: what went unnoticed

This sculpture juxtaposes two different models of evolutionary history: the tragedy of the individual giant and the silent triumph of collective intelligence. The skull of Toxodon, one of Darwin’s most prized specimens, stands as a relic of the past, in front of grain silos that serve as monuments to industrial agriculture and an abandoned civilization. This dormant
scene is brought to life by a brass slime mould network. This life form, feeding on the wealth now accumulated in the silos, is actually composed of thousands of individual cells that lack central governance but unite for a common purpose, acting as a single mind. This fluid network of collective intelligence slowly engulfs and incorporates the skull, a symbol of individual power and an extinct giant, suggesting that evolution is not just a story of competitive individuals. On the contrary, it implies that cooperative, decentralized, and adaptable collectives can transform and dominate even the most rigid structures.

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What Went Unnoticed, 2025, variable dimensions,156x40x52cm, 30xR:25, brass, clay, wood, paint, glass.

Photo credit: Nazli Erdemirel