Location lab two, on location ELA, Canada, 2015

Just as scientific researchers meticulously record their observations, the Canadian photographer Guillaume Simoneau meticulously observes the paradoxical relationship between humans and nature. His series Experimental Lake documents how a group of scientists perform ecological experiments at remote lakes in the vast wilderness of North-west Ontario, Canada. These experiments are part of their study into the impact of human activities on vulnerable ecosystems, for example through pollution and climate change. Location lab two offers an inside view of the mundane aspects of important scientific research, in which ordinary items such as a bucket, kitchen towel and plastic camping table play a useful role. Guillaume Simoneau’s series Experimental Lake was shown as part of On Earth – Imaging, Technology and the Natural World. In this exhibition, 27 contemporary artists reflected on the relationship between humans, technology and nature.