Stroom Den Haag

At the core of ⌀ [dia] are ten self-experiments developed by Ana María Gómez López or inspired by historical examples. For instance, she undergoes the process of growing a pearl inside her mouth, germinates a seed in her eye, and orients herself—like migratory birds—through earthly magnetic fields. Several of these experiments unfold as works in progress, while others remain unresolved or proved impossible. Together, they form a constellation in which the tension between control and surrender becomes tangible.

The artist positions the body as an influential instrument through which the world can be explored, questioned, and experienced. ⌀ [dia] demonstrates the relationship between bodily processes and larger ecosystems, from geology to astrology. Through photography, time-based media, and artifacts, the artist dissolves distinctions between scales, disciplines, and forms of knowledge, making palpable how these levels continuously interact and shape one another.

By presenting self-experimentation as a method, ⌀ [dia] offers a compelling counterpoint to today’s data-driven culture. At a time when knowledge is increasingly shaped by algorithms and abstract systems, the exhibition re-centers the body as a knowledge source. ⌀ [dia] shows how our personal and physical experiences are essential to how we understand a rapidly evolving world.