Curatorial tour of the exhibition “Bodies of the Earth. Our bodies.”

Is nature just the background for human life? Can plant growth, water circulation, wood cracking, or organic matter decay be a form of action?

We invite you to a curatorial tour of the exhibition “Bodies of the Earth. Our Bodies”, during which we will look at historical and contemporary ways of representing nature and the changing relationships between the human and the non-human.

The starting point of the exhibition is modern botanical engravings — precise representations of leaves, grasses and flowers, testifying to careful observation and fascination with the diversity of life forms. Contemporary works juxtaposed with them develop this sensitivity, but also direct attention to relationships and coexistence. Nature is no longer merely viewed, but becomes an actor of real processes, such as growth, circulation, decay and regeneration, in which the work of art is incorporated.

During the tour we will reflect on what changes in our thinking when we stop considering nature as a subject, background or resource. Is man really outside of it? We will examine the different ways of knowing and experiencing nature present at the exhibition — scientific, aesthetic, bodily, ecological and material — as well as the dependencies linking human and non-human forms of life. The meeting will be an opportunity to observe, ask questions and explore different ways of looking at nature — from admiration for the complexity of life forms to contemporary reflection on processes, coexistence and material dependencies.

hosted by: Aleksandra Grzonkowska