
04/25/2025
Intimacy of Strangers
by Nicole Condon
vinyl, single-channel video
approx 52" x 52"
On display at AAWR as part of "Common Currents" through June 21.
Nicole Condon-Shih is an artist and educator exploring the intersection of art, science, and technology. Her research-based practice examines the dichotomy between the microscopic versus the macroscopic in contemplating biological systems and environmental urgencies. Projects have been shown in Hong Kong at the Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism & Architecture, in Beijing at the B3 Biennale of the Moving Image, commissioned by Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, and collected by Summa Health Systems, among others. Condon-Shih is an Associate Professor and Division Chair of Foundation at the Cleveland Institute of Art. Previously, she created and launched the International Foundation Course at the Central Academy of Fine Art in Beijing, China. Condon-Shih received her M.F.A. from Hunter College, City University of New York and B.F.A. from Cornell University. Her art practice continually informs her teaching, just as teaching is integral to her practice as an artist, researcher, and academic leader.
Intimacy of Strangers explores the profound lessons of lichen, an organism that thrives in extreme environments, including outer space. By examining its microscopic and macroscopic structures, symbiotic relationships, and remarkable adaptability, this project visualizes lichen’s intricate networks and challenges our understanding of coexistence with nature. Bridging scientific research and material experimentation, this research envisions a speculative future where lichen, celebrated for its resilience, emerges as a catalyst for interplanetary colonization, reshaping our understanding of adaptation and survival beyond Earth. Inspired by the Victorian impulse to render the natural world both ornamental and sublime, this work frames lichen’s delicate structures like lace, drawing connections between scientific observation, decorative arts, and the intricate patterns found in nature.
https://nicolecondonshih.com/