Itinerant Signal Institute (Rite of Spring)

Flux Factory is pleased to present Itinerant Signal Institute (Rite of Spring), a solo exhibition by artist Amelia Marzec.
Itinerant Signal Institute (Rite of Spring) is a fictional institute and installation, grounded in techno-ecological art. The story of the Institute is told through sculpture, digital images, internet art, microcontrollers, and scientific displays. In it, creatures have emerged from the melting permafrost to join the Institute and return to modern-day cities to examine their climates. The creatures wear headdresses of bones and fossils, inspired by Eastern European carnival costumes that denote the changing of seasons. They acknowledge the effect of human activity on the Arctic Circle, and anticipate increasing climate migration due to military fuel consumption. The Institute tests for environmental toxins to identify places of relative safety, through small hand-built quasi-scientific devices that test the air and soil. The work also addresses queer migration, and re-defining the idea of home in the current political climate. It incorporates plant knowledge to influence the endocrine system, reducing human desire for late-stage capitalism and war at a biological level. Sites tested by the Institute include former military bases, including WWII sites in Europe, and Newtown Creek, the location of one of the United State’s largest oil spills, where the artist’s family lived when they emigrated to New York City. The work evolves as the Institute installs servers in partner organizations as the project moves from place to place.
At Flux IV, 56-21 2nd Street, Queens, NY
Itinerant Signal Institute (Rite of Spring)

Opening Reception: August 6, 6-9pm, with an artist talk at 7pm
Exhibition: August 6-30, 2026, open weekends, noon-6pm or by appointment
Performance: Saturday, August 22 at 3pm