LONDON, UK.- Elastic residence presents Polycubo Amellario: quercus project - Andrea Melloni, curated by Elisa Marchini, from 17 March - 3 April 2005. The relationship between object/image and related disease, in my projects, is obtained through a constant research in the scientific field, especially biotechnologies and genetic engineering (chronicles, legislation, laboratory results). Starting from given formal elements, I track down diseases that have a social and political interest, turning them into a fictitious pathological cause for the morphology of the infestations I create. This becomes also a chance to underline the effects of socially weakening symptoms of the chosen pathologies, and the controversial management of the discoveries referring to the remedies.

Bonsai trees are a recurrent element in my research not only for their autobiographic value, but also for their ambiguous status (their natural artificiality), that relates them to a dimension similar to the one my creatures belong to. the choice of this bonsai in particular is important for it's certified existence in everyday life. Polycubo Amellario, the cubic mushroom that has attacked this living structure causing it's death, contaminates hosting structures like other specimens belonging to Polyporaceaes, spreading with a parasitic behaviour.Sound is central element in this project. A sound signal obtained by translating genetic sequences of a rare illness, is spread in the environment.

The sound signal derived from maple syrup disease's genetic sequence is obtained by software translation of the disease's genetic alteration graphical scheme. The sound is then granulised to render the idea of particles, constituting both the genetic chain and the physical structure of this fungus.

The maple syrup disease had suddenly demonstrated being the most suitable pathology for this project. Firstly because of the symptoms from which it derives it's name, and also for the ideal connection between the diseases name itself and the vegetable world.

Actually, at its first steps, this deadly disease causes an alteration in the consistence of the urines. By "coincidence", the substance of my body I related from the beginning to Polycubo Amellario, is my own urine, crystallized in the cubic elements composing the infestation.