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The work of Nolwenn Vuillier (1991) raises questions about how we subdivide our surroundings into culture and nature. She purposely mixes these two imaginary worlds in her art. Her multidisciplinary practice evolves in co-creation with ‘nature’ and therefore challenges traditional representations of the landscape. Conversely, her art projects also frequently venture beyond the art space. An example of this is the dating profile she created for plants we consider to be weeds, and how she engaged in conversations with online matches on their behalf.
At Prospects, Vuillier is showing a threshold-shaped sculpture from the series Philter (2024). Most noticeable at first glance are its clean lines, contrasting with the organic material it is made of: manure. From up close the odour still lingers. This work also ventured beyond the beaten art tracks: prior to the exhibition, the sculpture infiltrated the urban environment. Vuillier inconspicuously temporarily replaced an ordinary front-door threshold. Those who crossed it, inadvertently fertilized the city’s wild vegetation. Due to the many footsteps placed upon it, the threshold gradually eroded to become the polished, minimalist sculpture it is today.
Vuillier is furthermore showing drawings from the series Squib (2023-ongoing) at Prospects, which she started creating during a residency at Drawing Centre Diepenheim. Roadside verges — narrow strips of wild vegetation between roads and fields — are full of species that are unable to survive elsewhere due to monoculture farming. The drawings are transcriptions of the traces and holes insects left behind on leaves. They look like a call for resistance in a language we have not yet mastered.
Text: Esmee Postma
Translated from Dutch by Marie Louise Schoondergang (The Art of Translation)