POROSITIES
"Christchurch artist Ina Johann uses a German word, Durchlaessig meaning porous, permeable, open - to describe the potential inherent in this restless cycle of ecological transformation. As echoed in the title of this exhibition, the word refers to both a scientific measure, related to the constant permutations of land forms, and the poetic concept of allowing something to pass through, not just in a physical sense but also in an emotional sense. It is that softening, or easing, ' says Johann. 'It is an active thing - the complexity of something forming, creating a framework for new propositions.'3 This framework became evident during her slow, attentive explorations of the local urban environment during the 2020 lockdown. With her camera, Johann looked down, recording the intrusion of tiny weeds and fungi staking out new territory in the forgotten or broken corners of the suburban landscape. And up, to the lineal horizon of new urban architecture reaching into the sky. The resulting collage of images, animated through layers of photographic dyes and paints, explore the liminal spaces where the orderly plan of the city map unravels and opportunistic nature challenges the hegemony of the built environment." excerpt, catalogue essay by Sally Blundell: POROSITIES 2021