Superfund Salvage is a research investigation into the possibilities for remediation and reuse of toxic soils. My experiments and tests focus around Brooklyn's Gowanus Canal. I am using mushrooms to mine the heavy metals from canal sediment and transforming them into ceramic glazes.
Mushroom pots with Gowanus glaze
Gowanus Canal
Mushrooms growing on contaminated substrate
Mushroom pot with Gowanus Glaze
I began this work a my thesis at NYU’s Interactive Telecommunications Program. The goal of this project was to research and test a remediation model that differs from that of the EPA, where the toxins could be completely removed from the sediment and used in a product that references its origins.
More extensive documentation about the project can be found here: http://superfundsalvage.wordpress.com/