GOLD OF KINABALU 2023
Wall installation,
1500 x 300 cm
Polyester textile scraps, Sewn together
2023
Installation view, Galerie Billing Bild, Baar (CH), 2023
© Patricia Jacomella Bonola
Unlike the famous Chinese wallpapers to which the work refers, on the canvas, instead of fantastic floral decorations, only holes are visible, created by cutting out orchid petals for the production of artificial flowers. The holes point to the 571 species of flowers that have become extinct from 1753 to today.
Fabric scraps recycled from the landfill site of the 'Rosa Artificial Flowers' factory in Tianjin (China) were sewn together and cover the entire gallery wall.
The title 'Gold of Kinabalu' is the name of a very rare and valuable orchid. It is endangered and is illegally sold on the black market at exorbitant prices.