Dust is a surprising mix of the mundane and the extraordinary. Minerals, organic matter, pollutants, and sometimes even traces of gold are part of its story. It’s a poetic reminder that even what seems insignificant can carry meaning—and value.
Dust doctor, dust detective, dust-divinator, dust-wrangler as umbrella terms for those dealing with dust, its consequences or uses. There are dusty times ahead, for good and ill, and these people will be needed. To mitigate, to diagnose, to treat, and to celebrate our dusty future.
The Art-Object acts as a probe into these dusty futures, a sentinel that continuously inscribes the local dust-o-sphere....Too much human in the sample? Perhaps it's time to bring in the other, the canine, the mossy, the outside air. Too much pollen, perhaps it's time for some personalised medicine to stop your asthma. Too much pm2.5/4/10 black carbon, time to be aware, put the filter on high mode, or get away. Too much microplastics, perhaps a flocculating bacterial mist, that sinks the particles to be robo-vacuumed and fused into a plastic puck for the plastics recycler.
In a mutation of William Gibsons quote:
“Dust/ futures are already here. It’s just not evenly distributed yet”
Line Krom is a German artist and cultural anthropologist, who explores the cultural richness of dust collected from museums, archives, mines, fields and other sites of social significance. Krom has transformed this often-overlooked material into performances, paintings, digital objects, and installations. Dust serves as both a metaphorical and material substrate in her practice for investigating themes of time, memory, environmental justice, and cultural heritage.
I am an interdisciplinary maker with a PhD in biotechnology, passionate about open-source practices and shareable expertise. I also bring enthusiasm to grassroots software and science policy. My work often involves collaboration with artists(such as Anna Dimitriu and Blast Theory, particularly in creating innovative projects that integrate biological media.
Over the past two decades, I have been actively involved in workshops, hack-days (https://www.hackteria.org/workshops/surf-and-turf/), hack labs (eg FieldNotes, Fi; LabLife, Uk, Hlab11&14), residencies(MigratingArtAcademies), and art collective projects worldwide. These experiences have allowed me to develop my technoscientific art practice and voice, blending accessible technology with creative expression.
I am a founding member of the Maker Space in Newcastle upon Tyne and an active participant in the North East England Maker community, and the broader UK and international networks. My role extends beyond hands-on projects—I advocate for documentation, mapping, and promotion to preserve and amplify the impact of communities like mine. I am also inspired by thought-provoking artists, writers, and theorists who explore technoscientific discourses.
You can view an interview featuring me from the "Little Inventers" project here, where I mention the need and desire to tinker with hardware for fun and exploration. This motivation also underlies workshoplogy practices with the International Hackteria Network.
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