Becoming Ocean
An inquiry surrounding care and rest concerning the collective body that encompasses both the human and the non-human. How does it rest? How is it cared for? And an even more pertinent question: how does one access the collective body in order to explore such questions?
The work expresses and documents my attempt to understand one’s small self as part of the giant planetary ecosystem — to find an interconnected eco-self (defined here as self-other-environment) by dissolving the ego-self.
Through a process of reflection, contemplation and introspection, I try to develop a methodology of rest. Rest as methodology searches for the quiet corners of our psyche where we can melt away our egos and see ourselves as an extension of broader systems and structures — where we become a dot in a matrix of dots. Here, this research arrives at an enmeshment of selves, both biological and ecological but also digital. The human self, the eco self, the digital self, all made up of entangled multiple selves become oceanic, tiny particles of a much larger body. And like the ocean, much is left unknown.
Bio
D. Martins is a queer neurodivergent artist whose work focuses on dismantling binary beliefs of separation and otherness through the lens of interconnectedness. D.'s work touches on the ephemeral nature of the human experience, identity, environmental issues, and social justice. Their research centres collective bodies beyond a humanistic perspective, placing the human and the non-human within a non-binary and hierarchy-free framework. D. often uses moving image, sound, photography, text and/or found objects, allowing the nature of each project to decide its medium(s). With a recent interest in exploring the immaterial, they have started to explore and incorporate elements of performance into their newer work. After working commercially as a graphic design in Germany, D. studied both in Sweden and Ireland, where in 2023 they completed Konstfack’s Fine Art master degree and the Art and Environment master at TU Dublin in 2025.
Institution(ing)s is a medium-scale collaboration project co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.