Plants In Parallel - Ensõ House
A group exhibition, Plants in Parallel, curated by Cynthia Fan for Ensõ House at their London location.
Plants in Parallel was Ensō House's first group show with 10 artists whose creative practices exist in conversation with the natural world and in parallel with plants. The exhibition drew inspiration from the contradictions within the etymology of the word 'plant'. As Rosetta S. Elkin explains in the essay ‘Plant Life: The Practice of Working Together’, ‘plant’ emerges from two Latin origins: planta, to sprout, and plantare, to fix in place. These two root words conjure up acts that appear to be at odds - through sprouting, we see a developmental process that occurs with growth and movement, while being fixed in place implies an intentional state of stasis.
This exhibition delved into the duality held by the identity of plants and extended it to the observation of artistic practices that exist in conversation with the natural world. In working with nature, elements such as leaves; stones; soil; bodies of water and sunlight become a catalyst, a medium and a collaborator. We were as fascinated by the artworks that were displayed as we were with the diverse processes that led to their formation.
Plants in Parallel was Ensō House's first group show with 10 artists whose creative practices exist in conversation with the natural world and in parallel with plants. The exhibition drew inspiration from the contradictions within the etymology of the word 'plant'. As Rosetta S. Elkin explains in the essay ‘Plant Life: The Practice of Working Together’, ‘plant’ emerges from two Latin origins: planta, to sprout, and plantare, to fix in place. These two root words conjure up acts that appear to be at odds - through sprouting, we see a developmental process that occurs with growth and movement, while being fixed in place implies an intentional state of stasis.
This exhibition delved into the duality held by the identity of plants and extended it to the observation of artistic practices that exist in conversation with the natural world. In working with nature, elements such as leaves; stones; soil; bodies of water and sunlight become a catalyst, a medium and a collaborator. We were as fascinated by the artworks that were displayed as we were with the diverse processes that led to their formation.
‘Earth Mound’ and ‘Earth Petroglyph’ were made from boulder clay that forms the nearby cliffs, deposited by glaciers from the Irish Sea which covered the peninsula about 18,000 years ago. Sea erosion and frequent landslips unearth the material without Rhodes needing to dig and disturb the soil. ‘Mynydd (Mountain)’ is made from an iron-rich silt/clay subsoil diverted from landfill during the construction of a local pond.
The works invite reflection on how we perceive and value earth-based materials, encouraging a shift from viewing them as inert “waste” or extractive “resources” to recognising them as active collaborators within dynamic ecological systems.
Curator: Cynthia Fan
Photography: Wing Cheng
The works invite reflection on how we perceive and value earth-based materials, encouraging a shift from viewing them as inert “waste” or extractive “resources” to recognising them as active collaborators within dynamic ecological systems.
Curator: Cynthia Fan
Photography: Wing Cheng
Organisation: Ensõ House
Type: Group Show
Location: Ensō London
Date: August 2024
Type: Group Show
Location: Ensō London
Date: August 2024
