Maarten Vanden Eynde, Taxonomic Trophies (2005-2025) | Courtesy: Meessen Gallery and Høyersten Contemporary | Photo: Philippe De Gobert

Habitats inaugurates a new series of nomadic exhibitions by Gether Contemporary, which will feature both thematic group exhibitions and solo exhibitions in changing exhibition spaces. As part of the upcoming exhibition series, the gallery will host an international edition once a year in different countries around the world. Habitats thus marks not only the first edition of the new nomadic format but also the first international edition. Habitats is thematically centered around nature and the connection and confrontation between wild and cultivated lands, with a focus on the surroundings of Bordeaux, at Chateau Champcenetz, a private vineyard just outside the city. The exhibition showcases interpretations of nature and its impact on our self-understanding by eight prominent contemporary artists; Rune Bosse, Rhoda Ting & Mikkel Bojesen, Julius von Bismarck, Nicolas Milhé, Hélene Bertin, Maarten Vanden Eynde and Linda Soh Trengereid. The works are displayed in the beautiful spaces of Chateau Champcenetz and in the magnificent nature surrounding the chateau, where the cultivated vineyards contrast with the wild forest.

Humankind has always been fascinated by nature. When we experience the snow-capped peaks of the Alps or a thunderstorm where the lightning illuminates the night sky, we are filled with awe. We feel at peace by the idyllic forest lake in the sunshine, but when darkness falls, it seems as though nature takes on a life of its own. We recognize that nature holds more than what we see with our own eyes. Intuitively, we sense that there is a life hidden beneath the surface. It draws us in and makes us understand that the world is bigger and deeper than we perceive it in our daily lives. This is the world that the artworks open up to. Using a term from the ancient Greek philosophers, one could say that the artists reveal the Dionysian, which represents the chaotic, uncontrollable, and dynamic aspects of nature, and unfold this within the clarified, beautiful, Apollonian work of art. Habitats is about the collision between the wild and the cultivated, and about sensing the connection between art and nature. The exhibition makes us rethink our relationship with the landscape, creating an awareness of our interconnectedness—not only with nature but also with one another. The artworks engage in dialogue with our current relationship to nature, which is referred to as the Anthropocene era. This term was introduced around the year 2000 by atmospheric chemist and Nobel laureate Paul J. Crutzen and refers to the fact that humanity’s industrial and cultural impact on our planet has become so significant that it can be compared to volcanic eruptions, floods, and meteorite impacts. This means that we must all acknowledge that we must all work together to preserve nature before it is too late.