Durch die Verwendung von organischem Material auf Kupferplatten und das Durchleiten von Strom verschmelzen Haroon Mirzas Electro Etchings die technoid-digitale Welt und die natürliche, schamanistisch-magische Welt miteinander. "Ich habe mich schon immer für organische Materie, Material und Organismen interessiert, wegen ihrer chaotischen, unvorhersehbaren und autonomen Natur, und auch als Metapher für andere Dinge" , so der Künstler in einem Interview im Ocula Magazine.
PCB-Kupferplatten, die beispielsweise in Computern verbaut werden, in Kombination mit psychoaktiven Substanzen aus schamanistischen Ritualen finden sich auch in anderen Installationen, Skulpturen und Videoarbeiten des Künstlers wieder, die international Beachtung fanden.
Die Arbeit OxyContin (2019) steht im Zusammenhang mit dem dramatischen Anstieg des Medikamenten-Missbrauchs in den USA und bezieht sich auf das verschreibungspflichtige Medikament OxyContin, das die Substanz Oxycodon enthält, ein Schmerzmittel, das zu einem großen Teil als Ursache der Opioid-Krise in den USA angesehen wird. Während eine geschnittene Ingwerwurzel 6 Minuten lang auf eine elektrifizierte PCB-Kupferplatte gelegt wird, reagiert die Ingwerwurzel mit der Platte und hinterlässt bleibende Spuren. Auch andere Arbeiten der Serie zeigen eine chemische Reaktion des San Pedro Kaktus auf der Kupferoberfläche oder andere Spuren von organischem Material wie Knoblauchblüten oder stehen in Verbindung mit anderen Drogen, beispielsweise Liberty Caps, dem häufigsten psychoaktiven Pilz.
Created by placing organic material on copper boards and conducting electrical currents through them, Haroon Mirza’s electro-etchings fuse together the technoid-digital world with the natural, shamanistic-magical world by utilizing organic material. "I've always been interested in organic matter, material, and organisms because of their chaotic, unpredictable and autonomous nature, and also as a metaphor for other things", the artist stated in an interview for Ocula Magazine. The usage of PCB copper plates (normally used in computers) and drugs from shamanistic rituals can be found in other of his internationally recognized installations, sculptures and video pieces.
The work OxyContin is related to the dramatic increase in Oxycodone abuse in the USA and refers to the prescription drug OxyContin, which contains the substance Oxycodone, an opioid which is largely credited to be the source of the opioid crisis in the USA. A sliced ginger root is placed on an electrified PCB copper plate for 6 minutes and reacts with the plate, leaving permanent marks. Other works of the series show the chemical reactions of the San Pedro cactus on the copper surface, other traces of organic material such as garlic flowers are reactively connected to other drugs. For instance, Mirza unites copper plates with Liberty Caps, the most common psychoactive mushroom.
Created by placing organic material on copper boards and passing a current through them, Haroon Mirza’s electro-etchings fuse together the technoid-digital world and the natural, shamanistic-magical world by using organic material. "I've always been interested in organic matter, material, and organisms because of their chaotic, unpredictable and autonomous nature, and also as a metaphor for other things", the artist stated in an interview. The usage of PCB copper plates (which are normally used in computers) and drugs in shamanistic rituals is also found in other works of his internationally recognized installations, sculptures and video pieces.
The work OxyContin is related to the dramatic increase in Oxycodone abuse in the USA and refers to the prescription drug OxyContin, which contains the substance Oxycodone, an opioid which is largely credited to be the source of the opioid crises in the USA. While a sliced ginger root is placed on a electrified PCB copper plate for 6 minutes, the ginger root reacts with the plate and leaves permanent marks. Other works of the series also show a chemical reaction of the San Pedro cactus on the copper surface or other traces of organic material like garlic flowers or are connected to other drugs. For instance, Mirza made copper plates with Liberty Caps, which is the most common psychoactive mushroom.