BWA Contemporary Art Gallery in Katowice

In my childhood, I spent plenty of time rambling in the countryside. I walked countless kilometres of forest trails, enjoying the rich damp smell of moss and soil, listening out for animal noises and finding their traces. Now, many years later, I take every opportunity to escape out of the city as I have noticed that immersion in nature helps me reset and restore. It feels good to be lying under a tree and looking at the sunlight streaming through the leaves. This optical experience has a special term in the Japanese language — 'komorebi'. I have used this name for a project that stems from my love for nature. My exhibition has been woven from twittering birds, the smell of moss growing on a tree branch that has fallen on wet forest bedding and the gentle noise of trees shaking in the wind. Artists who have been invited to participate in this project share their delight over nature. Each participant has created a unique work which allows us to see what they consider important in their contact with nature — things that they find interesting, delightful, inspiring, worrying and what it is that they love about it. All these stories share a strong belief that we are part of nature and we should treat it with due respect.

The exhibition provides space for exploration and allows to experience art with all senses. Children can touch, smell and listen to works of art. The project aims to emphasise the crucial aspect of the natural, unbreakable bond humans with nature. This relation is a melting point for ideas coming from sociology, ethics, environmental studies, ecology and art. At the time of the climate breakdown, every effort made for ecological education counts, which is why we have come up with a programme of workshops, art actions and meetings to accompany the exhibition. The aim is to help attune to the beauty of the surrounding nature and raise ecological awareness. Events will be realised both in the BWA Contemporary Art Gallery and outdoors in nature. We have taken every effort to make our project as environmentally friendly as possible, limiting the amount of waste that would be generated in the process. Artists have used natural materials to create their works and all printed media for the exhibition are made from recycled paper.

Aneta Zasucha — Curator

• Financial support from the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of Poland, from the Fund for the Promotion of Culture

  

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