Ice plays an important role in the planet’s ecosystems, and like any precious natural resource, it has been historically economized. In this artwork, the artist recycles the material used by Juan Ushca, son-in-law of Baltazar Ushca, considered the “last ice merchant of Chimborazo,” to wrap the ice blocks and reinterprets it in an act that pays homage to this tradition and century-long effort. Once again, the visible and the invisible are played with. The bale made of natural straw contains a series of PCBs inside, from which their copper has not yet been recovered. As for the other bale, made to simulate the original technique used by the ice merchants but using copper wire, the artist has inserted a signed 5-dollar bill, the current selling price of these ice blocks.

Founder of the Harddiskmuseum, OLEA biotoken and Manifesto Terricola movement, Innovation director at ESAT (Escuela Superior de Arte y Tecnología in Valencia, Spain) and Artist in research in Pole Da Vinci, Paris, France, his artistic practice includes work with artificial intelligence, biotechnology and DNA, electronics, interactive and 3D. His work has been exhibited internationally at events, art centres and museums including OI Futuro - Biennial of Digital Art in Brazil in two occasions, ZKM Karlsruhe (Germany), the Chronus Art Center (Shanghai), Centre Pompidou (France), Hermitage Saint Petersburg (Russia), Art Center Nabi-ISEA19 (South Korea), Ars Santa Monica, Barcelona (Spain), CCCB Barcelona (Spain), Espacio Fundación Telefónica, Madrid (Spain), Biennale Nemo Paris (France), Nuit Blanche Paris (France), CAC Málaga (Spain), CCCC Valencia (Spain), CAB Burgos (Spain), CEART Fuenlabrada (Spain), Es Baluard Mallorca (Spain), Cigarreras Alicante (Spain), IVAM Valencia (Spain), MACBA Buenos Aires, Parque Explora Medellín (Colombia), Museo, Exploratorio Bogotá (Colombia), CODAME Festival (Los Angeles), Ukranian Digital Art Biennial, Sonar Plus, among others. Solimán also gives workshops and talks at universities, congresses and symposiums in international institutions and universities.