Postnatural Remains            Research, Exhibition2025
The multimedia installation examines illegal waste dumping in Southern Italy and its environmental consequences, combining documentation, research, and speculative design. The first section exposes decades of unlawful waste disposal and burning by citizens and criminal organizations, illustrating the resulting ecological devastation and the legal frameworks used to combat these crimes. The second section presents archival images from field research (July–December 2024), revealing how discarded objects transform over time and leave often-invisible traces in the environment. The third section highlights a key finding: a beehive built inside an aluminum container. This artifact offers a tangible and  striking example of how nature is attempting to adapt to waste, creating a form of coexistence that is, unfortunately, toxic and dangerous for the survival of local biodiversity.

Considering the option that an object could be disposed into the environment and it will decay, this project aims to be a mediator to ask the questions: How could a non-harmful and non-toxic coexistence be possible between non-human agents of the local ecosystem and household waste? How waste can instead be designed to form new habitats and sources of nutrients for multiple species, with the aim of preserving local biodiversity?

The final section proposes alternative narratives through the redesign of discarded objects, envisioning waste as potential ecological infrastructure capable of supporting non-harmful coexistence and fostering the preservation of local biodiversity.

Gigi TotaroEmail: gigi.totaro5@gmail.com