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Lea Novi sees ecological justice as a driving force in her artistic practice. She is deeply affected by the continuing exploitation of the living world as a result of far-reaching industrialization. Through her work, she seeks to foster a more empathic relationship between humans and their ecological environment.
For her work The Golden Garden (2025), Novi drew inspiration from the layered nature of permaculture: a food forest garden that mirrors natural ecosystems in order to create sustainable and self-sufficient environments. She portrayed seven different plants – including lady’s mantle, red berries, medlars and wild garlic – alongside mushrooms and water, all of which are inextricably linked to permaculture. The images are printed on fabric – robust yet flexible – and set within frames made of clay. These frames refer to soil and clay as essential elements of the food forest garden. The engraved ornaments reveal the myths and characteristics associated with the plants.
Novi also presents a poetic video essay, which she recorded – like the photographs – in the food forest garden in Rotterdam where she volunteers on a weekly basis. For Novi, the gold in the title represents the value of our food, biodiversity and the richness of species. Novi states: ‘The Golden Garden reflects the understanding that plants are not isolated objects, but living beings: intelligent, interconnected and vital. It prompted me to ask what roles plants have played – and will continue to play – on our planet.’
Written by Esther Darley