Radiolarians

The «Radiolaria» art object, created by artist Sergei Sobolev, refers to the history of oil production and Tatarstan's unique geological landscape. The sculptural composition is based on the skeletons of radiolarians, microorganisms from the timeы of the existence of the ancient sea. Their organic part was an element of sapropel – centuries-old bottom sediments, that gives rise to oil.

The remains of radiolarians have survived to this day in the form of fossils and shells, which appeared on the surface due to soil erosion. These remains allow geological exploration to suggest the presence of oil in the bowels of the earth. Radiolarians still live on our planet, mostly in warm seas and oceans. The diameter of these single-celled organisms is under 1 millimeter. However, Sobolev's large-scale sculptures reveal the absolute delicacy of their skeletons. About 10,000 species of radiolarians are known to science.

Initially, creating an oil production-themed art object was not the easiest task for Sergei Sobolev. In his past work the artist has gravitated towards natural forms. For many, oil is something that's not entirely natural. However, it is also a part of nature and has geological origins.

For the author himself, the study of radiolarians, especially the diversity of their forms, was an amazing discovery. As a result, Sobolev's art object became a fairly accurate, but thousand-times magnified, depiction of the skeletons of ancient microorganisms. The material was white fiber-reinforced concrete, which is most similar to fossils to the touch. According to the artist, the most labor-intensive part was making the mold for the sculpture. Since it was disposable, it did not allow for errors during the pouring of fiber-reinforced concrete.