steel, steel cables and reclaimed rope.
At its biological core, a cell membrane is a dynamic, viscous layer that protects and defines the fundamental unit of life. It shapes the cell's boundaries, selectively allowing favourable proteins to enter while actively expelling toxic substances. It is a structure defined not by rigid isolation, but by calculated connection.
Biologist David Darling notes that even the earliest single-celled creatures “had established barriers, definite, sustainable boundaries, between themselves and the rest of the world... thus, the foundations for dualism—the belief of separation of self and the rest of the world—were laid.”
This separation is far more than physical; it introduces a profound philosophical framework for self-identity and existence. The membrane serves as both a literal biological shield and a powerful metaphor for how all living beings distinguish themselves from their surroundings.
In a broader sense, Membrana symbolises how life organises, sustains, and protects itself through boundaries. By defining what is “inside” and what is “outside,” organisms navigate their existence within a complex, often hostile environment. The membrane is never just a passive wall—it is a critical, living interface with the world. It suggests that our deepest human understandings of self, identity, and interpersonal boundaries stem from this very basic, ancient level of life.
Presented in 2025 at Folly Art Norg Festival.
Membrana was designed and built by Garcia Du Pan, an artist duo composed of Catarina Garcia and Jim Du Pan.