Work

True Colors seeks to challenge the prevailing narrative of environmental responsibility and sustainability within the automotive industry. Using the Dieselgate scandal as a starting point, this project utilizes the very marketing materials used by the industry to shed light on its deceptive greenwashing strategies.

Volskwagen Onbord Computer System Bosch_EDC17C46. The computer hosting the deceiving software that prompted to the Dieselgate scandal.In 2014, deceptive software was discovered in some Volkswagen car models. It detected when the pollutant emission tests and manipulated the engine so that it emitted less during the duration of the test. In real-life driving conditions, the vehicles emitted pollutants, considerably exceeding the standards authorised by environmental institutions. This discovery gave rise to the biggest industrial scandal of the post-war period and shook the foundations of the automotive industry. Subsequently, other automotive companies such as Audi, BMW, Renault Fiat and Jeep among others were also found guilty of similar deceptions.

About Dieselgate. In 2014, deceptive software was discovered in some Volkswagen car models. It detected the pollutant emission tests and manipulated the engine so that it emitted less during the duration of the test. In real-life driving conditions, the vehicles emitted pollutants, considerably exceeding the standards authorized by environmental institutions. This discovery gave rise to the biggest industrial scandal of the post-war period and shook the foundations of the automotive industry. Subsequently, other automotive companies such as Audi, BMW, Renault Fiat, and Jeep among others were also found guilty of similar deceptions. Today, public opinion is questioning the individualistic and outdated concept of mobility and the environmental and social relationship we have with cars. This is leading to new conjunctures for the future of the automotive industry, prompting the arrival of the so-called "clean car" or "zero-emission car" and its ecological myth, which calls for a technological “revolution” based on consumerism rather than rethinking society and mobility in terms of reducing consumption and dependence on it. In essence, True Colors aims to peel back the layers of deception that have shrouded the automotive industry's façade of environmental consciousness. By using the Dieselgate scandal as a touchstone and repurposing the industry's imagery, this project sheds light on the gap between its professed environmentally friendly efforts and the harsh reality of its ecological impact.

Volkswagen AG Agrees to Plead Guilty and Pay $4.3 Billion in Criminal and Civil Penalties; Six Volkswagen Executives and Employees are Indicted in Connection with Conspiracy to Cheat U.S. Emissions Tests. 2. Bosch EDC17C46, USA Vs. Volskwagen 23 Photographic reproduction of Archival docuemets from U.S. Vs Volkswagen. Office of Public Affairs, U.S. Department of Justice, 2021

Exhausted Landscapes diptychs, 2021. This series methodically extracts landscapes from the marketing content associated with Dieselgate-embroiled vehicles. These landscapes are then subjected to a transformative process in which they are enlarged to scale and given a new printing pattern. These landscapes are printed with carbon-negative ink derived from composites produced by the condensation of carbon-based gaseous emissions, a direct result of air pollution resulting from the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels. Metal panels, chosen as a symbolic representation of the automotive industry, serve as a canvas. These panels are colored with an array of nature-inspired water-based hues meticulously selected from the wide spectrum of 257 colors commonly used in the automotive sector. Names such as "Blue Glacier," "Orange Atacama" and "Coral Red" and their identification reference are screenprinted onto these panels, creating a symbiotic relationship with the landscapes, making references to nature and emphasizing the contrast between the industry's marketed images and the ecological impact of its actions.

UNDEFINED LANDSCAPE MERCEDES CLASE E CABRIO 2017 & B21 - ATACAMA YELLO - BMW, 2023

UNDEFINED LANDSCAPE RENAULT KADJAR 2016 & P3/2 - MONTANA GREEN MET - VOLKSWAGEN, 2023