pheobe riley law

"Ö Engines - Island Engines” explores the systems that make an island; it's “engines”. Islands are approached here as living, interconnected worlds in which multiple layers of relation coexist. These include marine processes such as tides, currents, diatom activity and other aquatic life; terrestrial and material conditions such as rocks, moss, and weather; and human and more-than-human presences including radio-towers, boat engines, ants, movement, and memory.

A key focus of the work is the role islands play in supporting marine microbial life, particularly diatoms, microscopic algae that contribute significantly to global photosynthesis. Responsible for producing an estimated 20% of the planet’s oxygen, roughly one in every five breaths, these organisms form the foundation of complex marine ecosystems. Through the installation, Phoebe seeks to communicate the delicacy and significance of these often-unseen systems, inviting curiosity about their presence and influence in the world. The work reflects on how perception shifts when we are situated within the context of island landscapes, and how practices of listening, attentiveness, and curiosity can become ways of understanding ecological relationships and our place within them.

The installation series continues from my previous work, Vegetal Empathy, a performative installation that explored the concept of speculative gardens and the ways in which we curate and shape nature. Building on these investigations, “Ö Engine - Island Engine" expands the scale of inquiry, shifting from the structured environment of the garden to the broader ecology of the island."

installation - Humber Street Gallery - July 2026
including;
listening workshop - 16th July
public sharing session - 18th July