multidisciplinary artist bianca bondi’s practice explores cycles of rebirth and regeneration through the use of chemical reactions, predominately by salt water. revered throughout history for both its remarkable healing properties and as a preservation method that revolutionized the availability of proper nourishment, for the artist, salt stands as a highly charged and conducive medium representing transformation. bondi’s approach manifests in monumental and immersive site-specific installations. 

as preparation for her first solo exhibition in the united states, bondi researched the state’s environmental history and found the highway beautification act of 1965. passed by texan president lyndon b johnson, it was named after his wife, lady bird johnson, and her passion for the environment. the act was intended to prohibit the erecting of billboards in order to preserve the native plants and wildlife already under risk by the building of highway infrastructure. 

posing the question where these advertising structures and other monumental trash reside once discarded, bondi fabricated an abandoned billboard in the gallery, displaying its carcass as a relic of the commercial world in a seemingly post-apocalyptic scene. acidic, toxic-toned colors seep into six metric tonnes of salt, carving pathways around the scrap metal. indigenous flora from the state emerge from the white mounds of salt, signifying nature’s inherent capacity for self-healing. throughout the space, a soundscape plays recordings of the intersection of urban and wildlife habitats, recorded at the last remnant of the blackland prairie, the frankland preservation.

with this work, bianca bondi spotlights landscape as an unsilent witness to mankind’s destruction and forgotten laws. the artist's multi-sensory artificial environment serves as a poignant reminder that the natural world persists beneath and amidst our bustling urban landscapes, emphasizing our collective capacity to liberate this invaluable terrain.

the exhibition is curated by emily edwards, associate curator.