Omrvinky v posteli

Katarína Hrušková

Curators:
Dorota Kenderová

Date/Place:
May 16, 2013 - Jun 16, 2013
Galéria HIT, Bratislava

Opening:
May 16, 2013 7PM

On the 15th of March 2001 the paper factory in Sibysok, one of the main paper production plants in central Europe, installed new environmental air filters to their cellulose cooking chamber. These were to isolate the unpleasantly smelling gasses that were disturbing the population of this small mountain town. It was the first set of filters of this kind ever used in the world. In quite a short time, the gasses created a liquid layer of a very curious substance, which was later given the name Liquidum Argentarium Philosophoris by the examining scientists. This substance caused the oxygen molecules passing through the filter to develop an ability of turning blood cells into silver. We still don’t know how this was possible, but we know for sure, that the people of Sibysok literally turned to silver. First it was only a few blood cells that would get affected by the chemical change. These would primary cause minor damages to the brain, such as memory loss and lack of orientation. The more of these silver cells in the body, the less oxygen could be transported to the organs, which would eventually cause the failure of one, or the other vital organ and lead to death. That means, that the citizens and animals of Sibysok died without even realizing what was happening to them, as the silver first robbed them of their minds and then their bodies. Once the organism died, the silver would rise up to the surface of the body and form a shining metal crust, impregnating the skin. This phenomenon is now called Callum Argenteus, which translates as silver skin.