Exhibition opening: Veil of Nature by Justine Blau

On Saturday, June 15th, at 12 PM, the opening of the exhibition "Veil of Nature" will take place at the University of Tartu Botanical Garden.

The exhibition Veil of Nature (Looduse Loor) by Luxembourgish artist Justine Blau, curated by Fanny Weinquin, explores man’s relationship with nature and conservation practices in response to the current environmental crisis with works navigating between documentation, illusion, and narration.

The starting point of this project was the discovery by Justine Blau of the Sicyos villosus, a now extinct species of the gourd family, collected by Charles Darwin during his expedition on the Beagle in the 1830s. When she read that scientists hoped to recreate the plant using biotechnology and the DNA of the herbarium specimen, she set out to explore what it meant to “bring species back to life”. With the Sicyos villosus as a guide and companion, Blau investigates our relationship with the living world as well as some of our preservation strategies.

Contemplating the role of the Botanical Garden as a preservation and science place, the exhibition creates a dialogue between art and science, dealing with the roots of natural history, science as a practice and an outlook on the world, as well as concerns with biodiversity and extinction. Using the digitised herbarium version of Sicyos villosus as a substitute, the artist aims to explore the photographic medium’s capacity for reincarnation and remembrance.

Please inform of your participation by responding to the questionnaire: https://forms.office.com/e/z9TKM1ma9N

Avamispäeva programm / Opening day programme

LAUPÄEV 15. Juuni / SATURDAY 15 June

12:00 – Näituse avamine / Opening
13:00 – Ekskursioon näitusel Justine Blau ja Fanny Weinquini juhendamisel / Guided tour with Justine Blau & Fanny Weinquin
14:00 – Justine Blau raamatu „Veil of Nature“ esitlus: K. Verlag, 2024 / Book presentation: Veil of Nature by Justine Blau, K. Verlag, 2024
14:30 – paneelarutelu “Looduse loor”, kus teadlased ja kunstnikud arutlevad ökoloogia, evolutsiooni ja looduskaitse teemadel. Moderaator Sara Bédard-Goulet / A speculative conversation with ecology, evolution, and conservation scientists and artists. Moderator: Sara Bédard-Goulet