Bio Spheres
Artist: Kazumi Hoshino, Maine
Grounds of the UMaine Cooperative Extension Diagnostic and Research Laboratory, 17 Godfrey Drive, Orono
Bio Spheres, a 23,000-pound work of art, was installed in late 2018 as a Percent for Art piece. The large granite sculpture rests on a rough-edged glacial erratic. The artist’s concept is that the erratic represents the earth, with fluid forms symbolizing our planet’s living organisms emerging from it. As the artist has stated, “These geometric yet organic shapes relate to basic concepts and forms that are common in the living world of plants, animals, and insects. . . .” Her concept is entirely congruent with the research focus of the laboratory being animals, agriculture, insects, and plants. An earlier piece by the artist, Composition Elements, is located in the lobby of UMaine’s New Balance Student Recreation Center, Hilltop Road.