EVENT DETAILS:
OPENING NIGHT: Wednesday, Oct 2nd, 6 — 9 pm.
ARTIST TALK: Saturday, Oct 5th at 4 pm.
LOCATION: Kupfer Gallery, 3 Scrutton Street, London, United Kingdom, EC2A 4HF
EXHIBITION DATES: October 2 – 5, 2024.

THIS CITY WAS A FOREST explores the deep interconnection between nature and urban landscapes. Reflecting on Timothy Morton’s assertion that “Nature is not a place to visit. It is home,” this exhibition challenges the anthropocentric view of humanity as the centre of the universe. Gilles Deleuze’s words, “We do not belong to any territory. We are always and already deterritorialise,” underscore the fluidity of our existence within these spaces. As we navigate through this transformation, Donna Haraway’s call to “stay with the trouble” echoes, urging us to reconsider our role in a rapidly changing ecosystem. THIS CITY WAS A FOREST exhibition envisions the future where human and non-human agents coexist, redefining the boundaries of our shared environment.

Photo by Sergey Novikov @velvia25

FEATURED ARTISTS: Dominique Cro; Ilsa Brittain; Domenika Georgiou; Vladimir Guculak; Hao Huang; Edward Sutcliffe; Giacomo Layet; Tzuhan Lin; Athena and MINGYES; Bobby Zhaocheng Xiong.

Dominique Cro
Master builder is based on termites’ impressive ability to build the world’s largest nonhuman structures relative to their size. This animation is part of a larger body of work based upon the symbiotic relationship between termites and the Termitomyces fungus. Termites build mounds to create the perfect temperature and humidity for the fungus to grow. They feed the fungus with dead wood matter, and in return, consume the fungus.
This work was shaped by Entangled Life by Merlin Sheldrake, alongside Cro’s research into symbiosis and mutualism. Cro is particularly interested in how humans can form more mutually beneficial relationships with other species and the environment more widely. With the belief that we can learn from observing other species who exist mutualistically with one another. 

Ilsa Brittain
‘Hidden Stories’ installation view,  2024,  acrylic on panel, each panel 30×30 cm.
With experimentation I am constantly exploring what paint and illusion can do. I am curious when something somehow transcends what it is made of, and there is an enjoyable confusion that invites a question. 
I look for motifs that speak of the driving force of LIFE and the entangled evolutionary processes that have led to diversity, increasingly complex organisms, and ultimately self awareness. I look for ways to speak of complexity hidden in simplicity, archived history that leads to the future, the macroscopic and the microscopic, and somewhere in amongst all of this, aspects of the human experience.

Domenika Georgiou
Perpetual Dream Machine
This artwork is a wearable machine shaped like a perpetual motion machine, placing the human individual at the center of the system. On one hand, the projected virtual image reflects an invented reality that is unattainable. On the other hand, the wings of the machine suggest a means to reach this projected reality. The wings, as a symbol, evoke a simulacrum of transformation, suggesting a desire to transcend human limitations and evolve into something beyond current existence—perhaps something that resembles both an animal and a machine. This artwork can be interpreted as a critique of the anthropocentric perception of the constant cycle of human desire and dissatisfaction, where humans endlessly strive for more, perpetuating a need that disrupts the balance of both our lives and the environment. This relentless pursuit reflects humanity’s struggle to reach an ecologically sustainable future.

Vladimir Guculak
‘Lichen’, 2023, Embroidery, 41×41 cm.
‘My recent series of works explores the nature of lichens. It is estimated that about 7% of the earth’s surface is covered by lichen and there may be as many as 17,000 species.  Lichens can be found in almost every habitat and geographic area on the planet. Lichens are as abundant in the forest as the are in our cities and our often overlooked. I’m interested in colours, textures, growth patterns, abstract qualities and microcosm of lichens.’

Hao Huang
Title: 1:4:9, 2024, 3D printed-PLA/PVA/PETG, power supply, Aerial Antenna, Metal box, 24x12x35 cm.
This is a series of hybrid sculptures, with the main creative inspiration drawn from the traditional Chinese Taihu stones. Here, the Taihu stone serves as a vessel, acting as a bonding agent that uses standardized and contemporary commercial visual language to graft together different industrial materials. These elements are fused into pleasing and seemingly rational yet entirely non-functional empty shells, creating an imaginary and unique display scene. The work explores the conflict between spirit and matter, as well as the tension between natural and artificial objects. The juxtaposition of symbols representing commercial mechanisms with the culturally significant Taihu stone forms a new landscape.

Edward Sutcliffe
Nettles, 2024, Oil on Canvas, 230cm x 150cm.
‘My paintings are contemporary art. The way I create these works is part of the narrative. The larger paintings are 2.3 metres tall. Its impossible to take these canvases out to work in situ. Instead, I paint on smaller pieces that are then glued to the larger canvas back at my studio. Here a landscape is formed, growing and changing – mirroring the very nature that it depicts. These works are a personal exploration of my relationship to nature and the urban environment.’ 

Giacomo Layet
‘Riconciliazione’, 2023, plastic, nylon, size variable.
In ‘Riconciliazione’ (Reconcile) the artist embarks on a meditative journey which stems from and combines personal memories and practical resourcefulness.
As often in his practice, the creative process begins from found objects which, in their decaying state, express an inspiring potential. Specifically, in ‘Riconciliazione’, the artist employs plastic bumpers or other car/moped parts which, unless spontaneously found during his wanderings, he sources from local mechanics and MOT garages.
The cracks and faults of these found elements, the signs of breakage, the bumps and scratches, the material scars resulting from a precedent, unknown violent trauma become instrumental to create the individual pieces that will eventually be puzzled back together. 

Tzuhan Lin
Window, 2023, 10x50x40cm.
We are living in a liminal transition while seeking a sense of groundedness. Gravity connects us to the Earth, and our weight anchors our presence within space. Reflecting on what we depend on to experience, my practice has evolved from a focus on quantitative clock time to an exploration of non-linear space, alongside a deconstruction of habitual frameworks.

ATHENA X MINGYES
Mixed Media (3d jacquard weaving, polyester film, vinyl).
Flatland: Stems, by ATHENA and MINGYES, captures nature’s quiet struggle against the heavy hand of the urban world. Lush green stems reach upward, yet are dragged down by grey concrete drapery, embodying the weight of modern life. In this delicate balance, the piece whispers of an anxious dawn, where the fragile beauty of life strains to break free from the looming shadow of an industrial apocalypse.

Bobby Zhaocheng Xiong
Flower 2077, 2021, Mix Media, 50x50x200cm.
Flower 2077 creates a future landscape where nature is both artificial and naturally interactive. Lie down and blow, as if facing a daisy on the grass, and the flower growing in the television will sway with the wind from your breath, dissolving the boundary between two realms. The piece envisions a possible future where nature is displayed in a virtual way, providing a cozy and living glimpse into the future world. However, it also poses a question: is this truly the kind of high-tech world you would like to live in?

LOCATION: 3 Scrutton Street, London, United Kingdom, EC2A 4HF

IMAGE CREDITS
All rights to the images belong to the artist.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of PAL_32 Platform or the artist.
This webpage was published in conjunction with the exhibition THIS CITY WAS A FOREST by PAL_32 platform at the Kupfer gallery, 3 Scrutton Street, London, United Kingdom, EC2A 4HF