Maria Fernanda Cardoso’s work Microfossil Pollen Found Here  (2014) is exhibited as part of A Working Model of the World at LifeSpace. 

Microfossil Pollen Found Here is a maquette for a large-scale public artwork of carved sandstone pollen grains installed at Darling Harbour in Sydney in 2016. It was inspired by the science of palynology — also known as “the study of dust” — which examines microfossils of pollen and other spores found in archaeological or geological deposits. A maquette, like an architectural model, is a smaller-scale, rough draft of a sculpture, used to persuade commissioners of its qualities. Poised between the microscopic pollen and the monumental final piece, this human-scale model shows pollen grains from native plant species found in the area that offer insights into its botanical and environmental history.

Maria was born in Colombia and is currently based in Sydney. Her practice is inspired by the natural world and plays with the point of overlap between art and science. She has exhibited internationally and notably represented Colombia at the Venice Biennale in 2003.

mariafernandacardoso.com
workingmodeloftheworld.com/Maria-Fernanda-Cardoso