Diogo da Cruz

Diogo da Cruz is an artist living and working between Berlin and Lisbon. Her practice encompasses the creation of objects, installations, and videos that explore partially fictional scenarios rooted in socio-political concerns, whether past, present, or future. Drawing on scientific references, historical documents, and specific geographic experiences, her work aims to stimulate critical thinking about the knowledge systems that exploited and colonized what is known as “nature.”

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For the past four years, I have been developing a scientific fiction that intertwines the myth of an underwater civilization with concerns about offshore mining. In collaboration with sound artist Fallon Mayanja, this narration was translated into a series of sculptures and short films. Together, we address colonial crimes and the exploitation of natural resources, while questioning the limits of Western science in the face of the challenges of climate change, with the ambition of offering a decolonized ecological perspective.

At the heart of this project is the concept of the “memory of water”, inspired by hydro-feminist reflections. Water is seen as a container for collective stories, human and non-human, carrying the memory of the enslaved bodies that crossed the Atlantic Ocean, a central element of our fictional story. This water, flowing through other forms of life, embodies a shared memory of suffering, survival, and transformation.

In the next phase, we want to broaden our focus from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean, an area of water that is also marked by tragic human journeys. The new works should not only reflect on the memory of the transatlantic slave trade, but also draw attention to the colonial structures still in place in the relationships between the North and the Global South, as well as to the exploitation of natural resources.

An essential part of my recent research focuses on diatoms, unicellular microalgae found in aquatic environments. As producers of oxygen and major components of terrestrial biomass, diatoms have become the protagonists of science fiction storytelling. These organisms with silica walls, with their complex and varied structures, symbolize the relationship between human life and aquatic ecosystems.

My recent experiments with this material, used like clay, have given promising results, especially after firing at high temperature, producing dark red hues with unique variations. At Rocabella, I want to deepen this exploration by creating a series of new sculptures, integrating diatoms not only as a formal reference, but also as a material presence, thus merging “land” and “sea”.

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