Orphan Well Gamma Garden
Metal, sugarcane, disposable plastic waste, lime, recycled paint, paper made from sugarcane combined with shredded disposable plastic waste ("plasticane"), ink made from persimmon, goldenrod, indigo, copper and oak galls, pumps, irrigation tubing, diffuser, "fertile rot" scent, living plants, soil, and water
2024
Commissioned for Prospect 6 New Orleans at the Contemporary Arts Center, New Orleans
Hannah Chalew's immersive installation investigates the long-lasting impact of oil and gas industry pipelines on the Southern Louisiana landscape and its people. Here, Chalew repurposed a salvaged oil wellhead into a nourishing fountain for living plants. Her lush indoor garden also contains sculpted plants made from"plasticane" — a material Chalew engineers by mixing shredded reclaimed plastic with bagasse, the fibrous waste product created after processing sugarcane into juice. Chalew created a fragrance called Fertile Rot, which lingers around the plants and water. This scent mimics the sweet, fermented odor of oakmoss produced by a swamp's off-gassing.
The title of Chalew's work refers to jarring environmental issues plaguing Louisiana's wetlands. When oil wells are no longer financially lucrative, they are often abandoned, and equipment is left in the environment to leach toxins. When these toxins are radioactive, the wetlands become unofficial gamma gardens-a term that evokes Atomic Era experiments that produced genetically modified crops.