To overgrow means to grow beyond, to grow too large, more than expected
4-week Art Residency in Xom Bac Cau, 2019
I exhibited 7 landscape paintings. They represent the surroundings of the Bac Cau residency.
During my residency I organised a one-day trash-picking. Together with few other people we collected garbage around the residency. In just 2 hours we managed to find a considerable amount of waste, which you can see in pictures below.
From the first day I arrived to Vietnam I was fascinated by its nature. A nature that grows no matter what, thick and bold. Layers of different plants growing on each other, living in symbiosis or in competition with each other. In and outside of the cities. Roots trying to find their way through the pavement. An abandoned motorcycle overgrown by a plant. I enjoyed seeing plant pots outside of homes and shops. Sometimes I could see trees popping out of balconies that seemed too small for them. Those colours, shapes and sizes were very majestic. I felt like in a huge botanical garden.
Unfortunately, next to this green paradise I noticed something else. There was trash covering the paths and laying on the side of the roads. Garbage was being burnt on the way to my art residency, leaving a thick smell behind.
I could not help but wonder how the city would look like without it.
In my project “Over-grow” I am highlighting the problem of the waste left behind by humans.
I created an installation which puts together Vietnamese landscapes and a big pile of trash. Both are from the same area. It is an interesting subject to explore for me, especially in the times of pollution, deforestation and climate change.
