Ines Katamso Indonesian French, b. 1990
Inspired by paleontology—a discipline deeply intertwined with biology and geology—Ines views fossils as the Earth’s “gems,” valuable not only for their endurance but for the fragments of ancient life they preserve. Fossils are inherently fragmented, retaining only internal morphology, leaving the external form to human imagination and scientific reconstruction. This tension between fact and speculation is where paleontology and artistic interpretation converge. Significantly influenced by Adrienne Mayor’s The First Fossil Hunters, Ines recognized that fossil imagining is not solely a modern scientific pursuit. In premodern societies, fossils inspired mythological narratives, giving rise to figures like titans, griffins, and dragons. These myths functioned as tools for understanding the unknown, much like science does today. Ines thus sees science and mythology not as opposing forces but as interconnected systems, both striving to explain the mysteries of the universe.
In her recent works, Ines references ancient mythological figures, such as Naga Antaboga, a primordial serpent from Javanese and Balinese mythology associated with the earth and the underworld. Naga Antaboga symbolizes balance and the cyclical forces of nature, themes central to Ines' practice. By embedding natural materials like fossils and minerals alongside human-made waste, such as plastic fragments, Ines draws attention to the duality of human interaction with the environment. The juxtaposition between organic and synthetic elements echoes the serpent’s role in maintaining cosmic harmony, while underscoring the environmental disruptions humans have caused"