Jan Mun
The Fariy Rings: In Air We Trust is a social art practice project that expands air quality issues from workshops held in 2023 on Water, Soil, and Air at Newtown Creek Alliance. After many years of working on soil and water - air issues are relatively new to me. Air being invisible, I feel challenged how to bring awareness and practice solutions to something most of us can't see or imagine. My research has led me to lichen, composite organisms of fungi and cyanobacteria or algae that grows on rocks, soils, and trees. Some lichen are air quality bioindicators that can enhance our understanding of environmental health and have offered me some solace in learning about air quality. As a result of this Air workshop, with HabitaMap, North Brooklyn Neighbors, and Newtown Creek Alliance, we have incorporated air quality monitors into the Greenpoint Library lending program—and created programming around air quality issues. I have previously created posters on critical urban soil contamination and bioremediation issues. I will produce a similar poster about air quality through this collaboration process with my colleagues to increase awareness of this issue, which is mostly invisible.