[A forest of weeds]
RAC Foundation – Solo Exhibition
Dates: 12 – 20 July 2024
First solo exhibition of the thesis Graphic ecosystem artistic and scientific results.
The exhibition A Forest of Weeds emerges as the result and part of the doctoral research Graphic
Ecosystems: A Scientific-Artistic Investigation on the Fate of Vegetal Waste from Exotic [Invasive] Species, developed within the Creativity, Social Innovation, and Sustainability program at the Uni-
versity of Vigo, Galicia, Spain.
Thesis project was directed by Dr. Ángeles Cancela and Dr. Anne Heyvaert 2020-2024
The exhibition was curated by Anne Heyvaert
The works presented aim to visualize the collaboration between art and science, addressing, throu-
gh the hybridization of both languages and methodologies, the issue of vegetal waste from exotic and invasive species. The exhibition seeks to offer a transdisciplinary perspective on a complex
ecological problem that directly affects our ecosystems. The research focuses on a specific area in Galicia where four species were identified as having an impact on the local flora. These include the
tree species Eucalyptus globulus and the herbaceous plants classified as invasive: Arundo donax,
Phytolacca americana, and Tradescantia fluminensis.
One of the main objectives of the project is the utilization of organic waste from the selected species to develop materials that can be used in artistic practice, particularly in graphic arts, such as paper (vegetal cellulose bio-based material) and ink. The raw materials used and the technically developed materials proved to be suitable for this purpose, yielding a variety of aesthetically and technically interesting supports, which were
employed in works with different formalizations.
The pigments extracted were tested for the production of oil-based inks used in printmaking. Additionally, the experimental processes of material development in the laboratory were observed from a creative and aesthetic perspective, leading to a series of artistic installations. The scientific process merges with expanded field graphic processes, extending from the wall to the floor, from more traditional formalizations like pure engraving or drawing, to parametrized digital processes or bio-art installations. As a whole, the proposal offers an experiential approach to the research content. Playing between literalism, abstraction, and construction, it presents another perspective on nature, our relationship with it, and the conceptual and practical challenges we face.
