Activities for the Exhibition “Nature, Gardens, Fantasies in Arkas Collection” begin at Arkas Art Center

Arkas Art Center keeps supporting art enthusiasts with its events organized in parallel with the exhibition “Nature, Gardens, Fantasies in Arkas Collection”. The exhibition for the products of the workshop titled Nature/Form/Processes, initiated under the collaboration of Arkas Art Center, Institut Français Izmir, and Izmir University of Economy Faculty of Fine Arts and Design started on October 14th. The video screening “Which gardens for the 21st century?” led by Pascal Garbe, the French horticulturalist, took place on November 9.

Products of the workshop titled Nature/Form/Processes, which was initiated last April under the collaboration of Arkas Art Center, Institut Français Izmir, and Izmir University of Economy Faculty of Fine Arts, were presented to art enthusiasts. Works of the 20 participants of workshop also started to be exhibited in Institut Français Izmir in parallel with the collaboration. In similarity to the exhibition “Nature, Gardens, Fantasies” held in the Arkas Art Center, the significance and endless inspiration of nature for the artists and designers are also demonstrated in the products of the exhibition. Spontaneous forms related to diverse biological life systems including silkworms, mushroom mycelium, and the garden itself as the place of work are seen in the products created based on the need to reconsider the deeper understanding in the relationship between nature and humans.

Based on the inspiration taken from the exhibition “Nature, Gardens, Fantasies in Arkas Collection”, participants of the workshop created works of art by manipulating forms, analysing the biological processes, and turning such biological units into tangible design outcomes and artworks. These products will be exhibited in Institut Français Izmir until November 13th.

“Which gardens for the 21st century?”

Another event to be organized in relation to the “Nature, Gardens, Fantasies” exhibition at the Arkas Art Center with the collaboration of Institut Français İzmir will be the video screening titled “Which gardens for the 21st century?”. For the video screening to be held in Institut Français Izmir on November 9, Pascal Garbe, the French horticulturalist, landscape architect and author, asked the question “Which gardens for the 21st century?” to seven leading horticulturalists from around the world in order to help us define the future of gardens. Experts attending the conference from Singapore, France, South Africa, Malaysia and England explained which gardens they envisioned for the 12st century, which gardens they hoped to come to life, and how we would go back to nature and our roots by way of these gardens.

Inch Lim (Malesia), Fumiaki Takano (Japan), Fergus Garrett (England), Leon Kluge (South Africa), Chantal Colleu-Dumond and Louis Benech (France), and Felix Loh (Singapore) made participating speeches focused on the relationship between humans and garden throughout the history, garden arrangements varying by countries, the need of humans for gardens, as well as the effect of changing climate conditions.

Living in different parts of the world, the experts attract not only the community around them but also a broad range of visitors from across the world thanks to the gardens which they create as works of art. They train young people and address global warming issues to search solutions for them. They explain how the humans drifted apart from nature along with the changing living conditions, forgot about the natural, and designed “their own worlds (gardens)”, but in fact should reconnect with nature, and create gardens respectful to nature allowing space for other living creatures. The speakers wish that gardens with less agrochemicals and more endemic plants will spread, supporting biodiversity, hosting and feeding rare species, and contributing in the harmony of nature in a holistic manner. They believe that the relationship to be re-established between humans and nature will contribute significantly in the solution of climate crisis effects of which are felt deeply.

Led by Pascal Garbe, world-renowned French horticulturalist, landscape architect, and author of many books on plants, the video screening will be held in Institut Français Izmir until November 13th.