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Aesthetica

THE ART & CULTURE MAGAZINE

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Issue 116 December / January 2024

CRAFTING A MEMORY

MESSAGE IN THE SKY

LAYERED CREATIVITY

Australia’s major triennial shows the importance of climate action

Uncovering the magic that lies behind stage sets by Es Devlin

Reuben Wu uses light-carrying drones to offer new viewpoints

Found photographs meet craft in Julie Cockburn’s handmade work

UK £6.95 Europe €12.95 USA $16.49

VISION OF THE FUTURE

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Welcome Editor’s Note

On the Cover Andrea Torres Balaguer’s photographic portraits could easily be mistaken for oil paintings. Garnet red and emerald green provide backdrops for gold silk blouses and deep velvet gowns. A single, confident brush stroke cuts straight across each face, cloaking the subject in anonymity. (p. 60)

Cover Image: Andrea Torres Balaguer, Marmalade (2018).

I like those serendipitous moments in life. It’s the recognition of cause and effect – what you set out to do can be very different to where you end up. It’s that idea of the journey being more important than the destination. It has been a big year for Aesthetica, as the magazine celebrated 20 years of independent publishing. We founded it with three pillars: equality, creativity and diversity, and they're still true today. I was 22 when I set up this organisation and so, in many ways, I grew up with it. I find it rather emotional because I look back and see all the time, hard work and determination that it took to make this happen. We've made a contribution to visual culture and curation with events like the Aesthetica Film Festival. I am honoured to spend each and every day with innovators, makers and creators. It keeps me invigorated. Inside this issue we are spotlighting artists who demonstrate the power of creative thinking. John Gerrard is known for works that are taking an active stand to bring the climate crisis to our attention. He is one of 100 artists who are exhibiting at this year’s NGV Triennial in Melbourne. Then we speak with Es Devlin who is renowned for large-scale installations and sculptures across theatre, architecture and activism. An Atlas of Es Devlin is the first major monographic museum show, surveying how she shapes stories and alternative points of view. We are also pleased to catch up with Reuben Wu on his process of making mesmerising work using drones and new technologies. Moreover, Julie Cockburn discusses the importance of memory and her instantly recognisable technique of embroidering found vintage prints. In photography, Jonas Daley, Tom Leighton, Jooeun Bae, Polina Washington and Morgan Otagburuagu present new ways of seeing through experimental works. Our cover photographer Andrea Torres Balaguer uses surrealism, rich colour palettes and magical realism to explore the subconscious. Finally, the last words go to curator James Wylie and the exhibition Tartan, which is on now at V&A Dundee. Cherie Federico

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contents

Art 18 News Agroforestry, the rückenfigur and seminal American photography are given detailed attention by institutions around the world.

28 10 to See New shows pose questions about systems of power, from Alberta Whittle’s solo Scotland exhibit to the major photo festival in Nigeria.

32 Crafting a Memory Es Devlin explodes the status-quo, pushing artistic boundaries between literature, stage and set design in a major New York exhibit.

38 Beyond Portraiture Morgan Otagburuagu is standing up against colourism. He amplifies the beauty of darker skin with portraits of Black women pioneers.

48 Radiant Geography Rock formations, volcanic geology and verdant foliage are key to Tom Leighton’s photographs, which traverse holographic and gleaming pools.

60 Richness of Colour Andrea Torres Balaguer’s bold photographic portraits could be mistaken for oil paintings, rendered in garnet reds and emerald greens.

72 Visions of the Future NGV Triennial calls for collective activity in the face of climate crisis, with John Gerrard’s ominous flags reflecting on the oil industry.

78 Evocative Storytelling Polina Washington has a background in film cinematography. Light and colour are key to her work, where a lone sunbeam tells a story.

88 Message in the Sky Drones are being harnessed by artists and photographers to light up the sky with new perspectives. Reuben Wu is one such name.

94 Meaning in Collage Pictures of coffee cups, mirrors, water jugs and headphones are each folded up and distorted into Jooeun Bae’s deeply personal montages.

106 Striking Landforms The Gobi Desert is listed amongst the top 10 largest in the world. Jonas Daley's landscapes capture its imposing rocky mountain ranges.

120 Layered Creativity Collage has a long history, spanning more than 100 years and seeing big change. Julie Cockburn is part of its contemporary story.

126 Exhibitions The Hepworth, MoMA and the Royal Academy are amongst this issue's must-attend galleries, with An-My Lê, Kim Lim and Marina Abramović.

131 Film Sadness and joy mix in Tótem. The Lost Boys is a candid depiction of young passion. In Girl, we see a poetic mother-daughter narrative unfold.

133 Music We survey the new reissue of Fela Kuti’s back catalogue, alongside a no-skips project from PACKS. Plus, Shirley Hurt makes her debut.

Books

Artists’ Directory

Last Words

135 The Latest Publications We take a look inside a new release curated by designer Grace Wales Bonner, as well as Maria Sturm’s impactful You Don’t Look Native to Me.

140 Featured Practitioners What are contemporary artists making now? The Directory spans photography, painting, sculpture and more, showing major trends.

146 James Wylie The Co-Curator of V&A Dundee's Tartan speaks to us about a display which celebrates the fabric's long, rich heritage and contemporary resonances.

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The Aesthetica Team: Editor: Cherie Federico Creative Producer: Eleanor Sutherland Content Creator: Chloe Elliott Editorial Assistant: Fruzsina Vida Junior Content Creator: Diana Bestwish Tetteh

Advertisement Enquiries: Megan Hobson (0044) (0)844 568 2001 advertising@aestheticamagazine.com

Reviews

Media Sales & Partnerships Manager: Megan Hobson Artists’ Directory Manager: Katherine Smira

Published by Cherie Federico and Dale Donley. Aesthetica Magazine 21 New Street York, YO1 8RA, UK Newstrade Distribution: Warners Group Publications plc. Gallery & Specialist Distribution: Central Books. Printed by Warners Midlands plc.

Production Director: Dale Donley Operations Manager: Helen Osbond Designer: Matt Glasby Contributors: Diana Bestwish Tetteh Eleanor Sutherland Iman Sultan Vamika Sinha Reviewers: Chloe Elliott, Diana Bestwish Tetteh, Eitan Orenstein, James Mottram, Jennifer Sauer, Kyle Bryony, Matt Swain, Megan Hobson, Michael Piantini, Shirley Stevenson, Shyama Laxman

Artists’ Directory Enquiries: Katherine Smira directory@aestheticamagazine.com Subscriptions: subscriptions@aestheticamagazine.com General Enquiries: info@aestheticamagazine.com Press Releases: pr@aestheticamagazine.com

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Elina Brotherus, Artist as Lamp from Meaningless Work series, 2019. Digital print, Museo Silver Rag paper, Dibond 90x120 cm. Edition: 6 Courtesy of the artist and Camara Oscura Galeria de Arte, Madrid.

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Enigmatic Composition ARTIST AS CLOWN Camara Oscura, Madrid | Until 23 December camaraoscura.net

Elina Brotherus' (b. 1972) self-portraits exude a sense of mystery. Often, her face is obscured or turned away from the camera. Positioned within idyllic landscapes, she holds a mirror in front of her head or looks away towards the moonlit sea. The rückenfigur – a compositional technique showing a figure from behind – recurs across her work. Its use can be traced throughout art history, from German Romantic painter Caspar David Friedrich’s Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog (1818) to contemporary pieces, like Cig Harvey's dreamlike self-portraits. Studies in the arts inform Brotherus’ creative practice. The image opposite is from the series Meaningless Work (2016-present). It is inspired by a seminal book by American academic M. H. Abrams (1912-2015). In The Mirror and the Lamp (1953), he argued 18th century art was primarily concerned with reflecting reality. Later in the Romantic era (1800-1850), there was a “change from imitation to expression.” Instead of copying their surroundings, artists helped us see the world in a different light. Artist as Lamp (2019) visualises this concept. Here, a person stands planted amongst the trees. Her head, covered by a lampshade, emanates a radiant glow. She shines as a human beacon. Here, and in other works selected for Camara Oscura Galeria de Arte’s retrospective, Brotherus casts herself in the dual role of creator and subject. Concealment enables her to tap into a rich artistic history whilst inviting the spectator to imagine themselves within these surreal scenes. She explains: “when you don’t show the face, the character could be anybody. It could be you.”

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Caring for Ecosystems NOORDERLICHT PHOTO Groningen, Friesland| Until 10 December noorderlicht.com

Agroforestry is a farming approach whereby trees and shrubs are grown alongside crops and livestock. A silvoarable system is one method. It involves placing saplings in rows between alleys of horticultural plants. According to the Woodland Trust, this strategy can “enhance farm productivity, increase wildlife and contribute to climate change mitigation.” Despite these benefits, it has only been applied to 3% of cultivated farmland in the UK. Eddo Hartmann’s (b. 1973) exhibition highlights these sustainable practices. His work is part of Renewed Energy, a collaboration between BPD Cultuurfonds and Noorderlicht. It imagines future landscapes thriving through regenerative agriculture. The fruit tree opposite is another example. It’s part of a food forest. Here, farmers grow a variety of edible plants to mimic natural ecosystems, much like a garden. This promotes biodiversity, improves the soil and attracts new wildlife, such as birds and insects. The show is part of the Noorderlicht International Photo Festival. This year’s theme, Regenerate, brings together imagemakers who are looking at how we can improve society, both for people and the planet at large. Regenerate Life at Museum Belvédère delves into our relationship with nature. On display is Rebecca Najdowski’s documentation of wildfire recovery and Misha Vallejo Prut’s depiction of Kawsak Sacha (The Living Forest), a philosophy upheld by the Indigenous Kichwa community in Ecuador. They view Earth as a conscious entity whose life is interconnected with its inhabitants. These photographers call for real change, with powerful pieces and new ways of thinking.

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Joel Sternfeld, Domestic Workers Waiting for the Bus, Atlanta, Georgia, April 1983. Series: American Prospects Pigment Print 107 x 133 cm The ALBERTINA Museum, Vienna – Donation Joel Sternfeld © Joel Sternfeld.

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Beneath the Surface AMERICAN PROSPECTS The Albertina Museum, Vienna | Until 21 April albertina.at

Three women stand in an empty road. One gazes ahead, watching the winding concrete disappear over the horizon. Along the way, it splits into smaller paths leading to lavish houses. Lawns look pristine, even the smallest shrub is flawlessly shaped. The image seems perfect, like an advert or postcard, but the title of Joel Sternfeld’s (b. 1944) photograph reveals another story. Domestic Workers Waiting for the Bus, Atlanta, Georgia (1983) tells us that the people in the scene are detached from this world of luxury. The picture comes from Sternfeld’s seminal series, American Prospects (1978-1986). It is the result of eight years spent documenting people and places across the USA. Panoramic shots show suburban streets, overcrowded theme parks and expanses of wild desert. Today, these images offer glimpses into the recent past whilst subtly highlighting pervasive social inequalities. He told the Guardian: “the great underlying theme of my work is the utopian vision of America contrasted with the dystopian one.” Here, the use of vibrant hues contrasts with the reality for many in late 20th century Georgia. Sternfeld is a key figure of the 1970s New Colour Photography movement, which brought creative merit to a style previously only associated with advertising and fashion. There’s a cheery and whimsical quality to his landscapes, achieved by deviating from the norm of black and white fine-art photography. Sternfeld’s attentive eye continues to inspire image-makers, including Gregory Crewdson and Julie Blackmon. His compositions remind us to dig deeper and ask ourselves: can a single snapshots conceal as much as it reveals?

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Sublime Encounters FRAGILE WONDERS Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg | Until 7 April kunstmuseum.de

The Earth's landscapes are scarred. That's the message of Paolo Pellegrin's (b. 1964) striking pictures. Subjects include Welzow Süd, a German mine where 20 million tonnes of lignite is drilled annually. Elsewhere, we are transported to Disko Bay, Greenland. Here, an iceberg blends into the white sky. It looks as if it’s disappearing – fading into nothingness. These shots highlight the destructive impact humans are having on the environment. Pellegrin has recorded the effects of the climate crisis around the world, from Iceland to Namibia. The photojournalist is internationally renowned and has won numerous awards, including 10 World Press Photos as well as a Leica Medal of Excellence. Whilst he is best known for recording the devastating consequences of war, the turn to nature came out of a research trip with NASA, where he documented the effects of global warming in Antarctica. His latest collection draws attention to the true fragility of seemingly invulnerable animals, habitats and structures. “It’s about landscapes and nature, but I have to transform them. I’m searching for the sublime,” he explains in an interview with The New Yorker. Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg underlines the severity of the climate emergency by bringing us up close to awe-inspiring wonders. Such a focus aligns him with the likes of Andreas Gursky, Helene Schmitz and Per Bak Jensen. It’s timely as our surroundings are changing at an alarming rate. For instance, a 2023 study published in Science estimated that 68% of glaciers are likely to melt by 2100 if the current rate of temperature increase continues. Pellegrin’s images are an urgent call to action.

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Paolo Pellegrin, Disko Bay, Ilulissat, Greenland, 2021. © Paolo Pellegrin / Magnum Photos.

Froukje by David van Dartel / © David van Dartel / Elliott Gallery.

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Reflecting New Talent FROUKJE Elliott Gallery, Amsterdam | Until 3 February elliott.gallery

“Happy new year / The world is burning / And I’d like to put it out / But the fire is greater than me.” This is the chorus of Dutch singer-songwriter Froukje’s breakthrough song, Groter Dan Ik (2020). It's a protest against climate crisis, directed towards the irresponsible leaders and profiteers she feels are robbing younger generations of a future. They have turned a blind eye to warning signs: extreme weather, global heating, melting glaciers and wildfires. When the song dropped, Froukje’s raw lyrics and engagement with social issues captured fans. Three years later, she is one of the Netherlands’ most loved upcoming musicians. We meet her stern gaze in this shot. Her expression is calm yet assertive, looking down at us through a small square frame. The photograph was taken by self-taught lens-based artist David van Dartel (b. 1995). It’s part of a series of visuals for Froukje’s highly anticipated debut album, Noodzakelijk Verdriet (Necessary Sadness), as well as a new exhibition at Elliott Gallery, Amsterdam. The pair travelled by boat to Froukje’s birthplace, Nieuwkoop, for the shoot, which is filled with details from the lush Dutch landscape: crystal-clear waters, blustering reeds and endless fields. Another piece shows the musician semi-submerged in a deep lake. She looks distant and lost in thought, looking down towards her warped reflection and pulling us into the depths of the composition. There’s a closeness between subject and artist reminiscent of Snezhana von Büdingen-Dyba’s Meeting Sofie or Yao Yuan’s 12321. Dartel captures many facets to Froukje, revealing glimpses of quiet confidence and fearless vulnerability.

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10 to See RECOMMENDED EXHIBITIONS THIS SEASON

New shows in December and January pose questions about systems that make up our world. How can we reconnect with each other and our environments? What are the necessary steps towards deconstructing power imbalances? Where do the boundaries of contemporary art lie?

Shifting Landscapes

Oxo Tower Wharf, London | 1-10 December

emergencemagazine.org When glaciers perish, lakes dry up and our forests are on fire, it feels as if the world we know is coming undone and new configurations are taking shape. Shifting Landscapes is an immersive exhibition that features nine contemporary artists, such as filmmaker Adam Loften, photographer Gheorge Popa and creative studio Marshmallow Laser Feast. The multi-sensory projects draw attention to our close entanglement with the biosphere, from the smallest stirrings of life within our bodies to the substantial imprints we have left on the Earth’s face.

A lberta Whittle: Create Dangerously National Galleries Scotland, Edinburgh | Until 7 January

nationalgalleries.org Create Dangerously is the largest exploration of Barbadian-Scottish artist Alberta Whittle’s practice to date. The exhibition confronts the violence of colonialism, the legacies of the Transatlantic Slave Trade and the impact of climate crisis through an extensive selection of drawings, interactive digital collages, paintings, sculptures and installations. Whittle’s works offer a message of hope, weaving personal family stories into difficult narratives. The show asks us to imagine a reality outside of rigid social structures, hierarchies and ways of thinking.

LagosPhoto Festival

Various Locations, Lagos | Until 31 December

lagosphotofestival.com LagosPhoto's 14th edition centres on the theme Ground State – Fellowship Within the Uncanny. The festival brings together internationally renowned artists whose images are rooted in the present moment. They envision ways we might repair societal imbalances and, by extension, restore faith in humanity. This year's exhibitions will extend beyond the Nigerian capital to cities in Benin. This provides visitors with more opportunities to engage with powerful work from artists such as Arko Datto, Carlos Idun-Tawiah, Gloria Oyarzabal and Omar Victor Diop.

Hybrid Skin, Mythical Presence Seattle Asian Art Museum | Until 7 July

seattleartmuseum.org Anida Yoeu Ali is known for exploring performance as an art form, taking on the personae of fantastic mythical heroines as assertions of feminist, queer and alternative visibilities. These characters are hybrids, combining different religious aesthetics to disrupt ideas around otherness. Simultaneously, Ali often uses textiles to make pieces rooted in her experiences as a Cham-Muslim refugee. Hybrid Skin, Mythical Presence stages installations, photography and moving-image alongside iconic projects such as The Buddhist Bug and The Red Chador.

Life in a Different Resolution Nxt Museum, Amsterdam | Until 30 June

nxtmuseum.com Random International is a London-based collaborative studio operating at the crossroads of art, artificial intelligence, cognitive and behavioural science and technology. Life in a Different Resolution traces a line through the initiative’s creative process and presents several renowned projects, including Living Room, where visitors can enter a fluctuating architectural space flooded with light and fog. The multi-sensory work positions the built landscape as a living being, asking: how we can connect to different ways of living and, crucially, to one another?

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Sonya Clark: We A re Each Other High Museum of Art, Atlanta | Until 18 February

high.org Sonya Clark is an American artist of Afro-Caribbean heritage. She is acclaimed for using everyday fibre materials, such as flags, found fabric and hair, to examine the politics and histories of representation, racial injustice, cultural legacies and reconciliation. High Museum’s We Are Each Other examines how Clark’s community-centred projects facilitate new collective encounters across, gender, ethnic and socioeconomic divisions. Besides her large-scale installations, the show features a range of Clark’s photographic works, prints and sculptures.

Human.Kind. International Museum of the Red Cross, Geneva | Until 14 April

redcrossmuseum.ch Human.Kind. introduces 30 Prix Pictet-nominated photographers who document the lives of those experiencing different forms of crisis. The shortlist represents 24 countries and includes international practitioners like Andrew Esiebo, Charles Fréger, Gideon Mendel and Myriam Boulos. Their portraits and photomontages present an alternative approach to the established visual language of documentary and address major issues of humanitarian action, from conflicts and privileges to psychosocial support and respect for human dignity.

The Swarm Plug In ICA, Winnipeg | Until 17 December

plugin.org Farah Al Qasimi is an Abu-Dhabi-born artist who uses a variety of lens-based media to engage with postcolonial realities. The Swarm includes images of domestic interiors and mundane items to depict the emerging post-industrial society of the Gulf region. Although the projects are rooted in a documentary practice, the results appear cinematic, teeming with colours and details. Al Qasimi’s recent show Abort, Retry, Fail, at London’s Delfina Foundation, similarly looked at everyday subjects and addressed our alienated relationship with the natural world.

Our Ecology: Toward a Planetary Living Mori Art Museum, Tokyo | Until 31 March

mori.art.museum What contribution can contemporary art make to environmental activism? Mori Art Museum’s 20th anniversary exhibition lines up nearly 100 works – by artists such as Ana Mendieta, Emilija Škarnulytė and Hans Haacke – to respond to this question. The museum is making a conscious effort towards acting sustainably, like recycling wall panels and resources from previous shows. Besides this, more than half of the objects on show in Our Ecology were commissioned and created in Japan – keeping the transport of materials to a bare minimum.

Paradise, Performance, Replica Fotografie Forum Frankfurt | Until 7 January

fffrankfurt.com Paradise, Performance, Replica focuses on three contemporary photographers from Slovenia. Bojan Radovič’s prints explore the principles of repetition and imitation, whilst Jošt Dolinšek’s playful, unusual pieces investigate visual perceptions of nature with a special focus on uncertainty and doubt. The exhibition further introduces Vanja Bućan’s surreal and staged compositions that question socio-political themes via photomontage and collage techniques. These multimedia projects expand the limits of materials in experimental and refreshing ways.

1. Marshmallow Laser Feast, Breathing Space. Image courtesy of the artists . 2. Alberta Whittle (b. 1980), Lagareh – The Last Born, (2022). Photo by Jaryd Niles-Morris. Lagareh is co-commissioned and produced by Scotland + Venice and Forma for the 59th International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia. Image courtesy of the artist and The Modern Institute / Toby Webster Ltd., Glasgow. 3. Arko Datto (b. 1969), Sagar Island, India, from the series Where Do We Go When the Final Wave Hits (2019-present), ongoing series. Image courtesy of the artist and Lagos Photo Festival. 4. Anida Yoeu Ali (b. 1974), Water Birth, The Red Chador: Genesis I, (2019), Kaiona Beach, Oahu, USA. Image courtesy of the artist. © Studio Revolt. Photo by Masahiro Sugano. 5. Random International, Fifteen Points. Photo by Esteban Schunemann. Image courtesy of the artists. 6. Sonya Clark (b. 1967), The Hair Craft Project (Hairstylists with Sonya Clark) Sonya Clark with Jamilah Williams, (2013), inkjet photograph, 28 × 28 inches. Photo by Naoko Wowsugi. Image courtesy the artist and High Museum of Art, Atlanta. 7. Andrew Esiebo (b. 1978), Untitled from the series Who We Are, (2010). Image courtesy of the artist and the International Museum of the Red Cross, Geneva. 8. Farah Al Qasimi (b. 1991), Medeyyah Through The Gate, (2023). Image courtesy of the artist. 9. Emilija Škarnulytė, Sunken Cities, 2021. Film still. Image courtesy of the artist and Mori Art Museum, Tokyo. 10. Vanja Bućan (b. 1973), Invisible Housewives, (2022). From the series Birds of Paradise, (2021-2023). Image courtesy of the artist and Fotografie Forum Frankfurt.

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Crafting a Memory Es Devlin THE BOUNDARIES OF ART, LITERATURE, STAGE AND SET DESIGN EXPLODE IN A RETROSPECTIVE THAT REDEFINES WHAT IT MEANS TO EXPERIENCE PERFORMANCE.

Behind any magician’s seemingly perfect sleight of hand is shifting lights reflected by surrounding mirrors and pools. a series of calculated machinations – levers, pulleys, props They make the viewer feel as if they have entered a box of and careful planning. Such is the role of a stage and set de- glitter, and are amongst the world’s most Instagrammed artsigner, who does the labour of developing and building tem- works. Thousands of people snap mirror selfies amidst her porary, imagined worlds that make us believe, wholeheart- seas of twinkling sequins. It’s ethereal, fairytale-like, highly edly, in a meticulously organised illusion – at least, for a few picturesque. The work of international art collective teamLab hours. Theatre has been around for centuries, and so have its is similar, welcoming us into rooms of cascading colourful makers. However, a rather new phenomenon is the transition LEDs that cause us to forget where our bodies start and end. of its designers into veritable artists, toeing their way back Fifty-two-year-old British artist and stage designer Es and forth across the creative spectrum between stage design Devlin (b. 1971) takes the medium of installation art and and fine art, towards a distinct medium of its own: installation. blows it up, bending it into myriad shapes of spectacle, perThe medium has a younger, relatively under-theorised his- formance and storytelling: theatre productions, music, opera, tory, emerging approximately in the mid-20th century. The dance, fashion shows and more. She has been a longtime first documented use of the term “installation” with regards collaborator of Kanye West’s concerts, and has worked with to art, as noted by the Oxford English Dictionary, was as ABBA, Adele, Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus, U2 and The recent as 1969. It's described as being either temporary or Weeknd, amongst others. In 2012, she designed the closing permanent, but always three-dimensional. Installation art is ceremony for the London Olympics, and then the opening usually site-specific and caters towards transforming viewers’ in Rio four years later. Her list of projects and collaborations perceptions of a particular space in service of a story. In short, unfurls like an endless scroll, with each new piece of work it is physical narrative-making. Combining the logistical flair, seemingly grander and more ambitious than the last. In a vision and precise execution of a set designer with a fine art- 2016 New Yorker article, Andrew O’Hagan writes: "Each of her ist’s sculptural and / or intellectually oddball, out-of-the-box designs is an attack on the notion that a set is merely scenery approach, the installation artist does not just create a work, … [Devlin] is in demand because she can enter the psychic but also the experience of it. Ideally, all the senses are ac- ether of each production and make it glow with significance." counted for, breaking the seam between reality and artifice A striking example: for Cyrus’ 2014 Bangerz arena tour, at a and transporting the audience to a different world altogether. time when the pop star’s image was fast swivelling away from One might quickly imagine the work of famed Japanese purported Disney childhood innocence, Devlin designed the artist Yayoi Kusama (b. 1929). Her Infinity Mirror Rooms, on concert entrance as a huge tongue – by now synonymous view at the Tate Modern in London, are filled with masses of with the star’s new persona – protruding out of a giant model

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Photography by Nicolas Chavance.

“Importantly, her works move beyond being visually interesting narrative supports. Instead, they are actively engaged in inciting something worthwhile, triggering human changeability.”

Previous page: Pavilion design by Es Devlin. Image by Alin Constantin Photography. Left: Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello Men’s Spring/Summer 2023 Show. Image courtesy of Saint Laurent.

of Cyrus’ head. Devlin describes it as “a sculptural portrait of a young woman rewriting her character and her script.” Devlin entered this field of work, she proclaims, upon the realisation that “a group of tightly packed people could be greatly moved sitting together in the dark.” Having studied English Literature for her undergraduate studies at Bristol University, she went on to take a Foundation Course in Fine Art at Central Saint Martins, coming to specialise in theatre. She took on several work experiences, and wound up transforming the sets of the Bush Theatre in West London before going on to the National Theatre in 1998 to work on a revival of Harold Pinter’s Betrayal. These projects helped build her a reputation as sturdy and innovative as her sets. The artist recalls a pivotal childhood moment, where she's standing in a long, sunlit corridor, at music school, whilst hearing snatches of various rehearsals overlay each other. "I see my practice in light, sculpture, theatre, music and text as a 28-year extension of that corridor.” The memory and its consequences are dream-like, nearly fantastical, given the grand scale of what Devlin has come to conjure and achieve since then. “A theatre maker’s daily practice involves imagining worlds that don’t yet exist,” she remarks. Her creative influence is infectious, with collaborator and friend Pharrell Williams describing her as embodying a “turning point.” “When you meet with her, she literally turns things around with her perspective. She’s a walking turning point for anyone she interacts with.” This comes from a 2020 conversation between Williams, Devlin and Yana Peel, included in a brand-new publication from Thames & Hudson entitled An Atlas of Es Devlin. It spans over 900 pages and delves into Devlin’s archives and projects, with

essays and commentaries by both the artist and her collaborators, such as Benedict Cumberbatch, Bono, Brian Eno and Hans Ulrich Obrist, to name a few. The artist describes the volume as “an attempt … to seek the connections, recurring interests and forms that have resurfaced throughout [her] practice.” The book, as an object, is a careful and illustrious construction, much like a set. It’s art, with elaborate folds, cut-outs, mirrors and various paper types; the publication’s sculptural design is credited to Daniel Devlin. Edited and introduced by Andrea Lipps, Curator at Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Museum of Design in New York, An Atlas of Es Devlin accompanies the launch of a major monographic exhibition of the same name. It involves Devlin installing her entire archive – spanning three decades– across the third floor of the museum, exhibiting more than 300 sketches, paintings, illuminated paper cuts and projection-mapped miniature sculptures, including previously unseen small-scale works that form the basis for larger projects. Visitors will also be able to enter a replica of Devlin’s London studio containing her materials, tools and works-in-progress where, as the room darkens, projections will bring the space to life – a meta moment of an installation about an installation artist. The show also incorporates and acknowledges the essential role of Devlin’s myriad collaborators, from lighting designers to production managers and musicians. It demonstrates the networked expansiveness, as well as personable intimacy, of her approach. Lipps calls Devlin an “experiential storyteller … a composer of space, a sculptor of time and engagement.” Importantly, her works move beyond being visually interesting narrative supports. Instead, they are actively engaged with

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Pavilion design by Es Devlin. Image by Alin Constantin Photography.

inciting something worthwhile, triggering human malle- telling in a way that allows us to be actually in communion ability and changeability. After all, Devlin sees an audi- with our environment, as opposed to a dominating, colonience as “a temporary society, a community that arrives in alist separation from it.” Consequently, Devlin’s work Forest one state, sits closely together, in thought, in the dark, for of Us, for Pace Gallery's Superblue Miami, conceptually the next few hours, and departs in an altered state. The ar- connects trees with lungs through a “maze” of “bronchial chitecture of their minds is redrawn by new thoughts and branches.” The work asks us to return to our breath and to feelings.” Therein lies the purpose of Devlin’s wide-ranging, confront our mortality – not just as bodies, but as a world. multidisciplinary practice: to spur people towards critical The work led to a series of temporary forests: Five Echoes in engagement. Her designs are far from mere aesthetic ex- Miami, Forest for Change at Somerset House and Conferperiences, but instead form palimpsestic narratives akin to ence of the Trees at the Climate Change Conference in Glasnovels with multiple chapters. The stories inside are multi- gow for COP26. “Like Shakespearean forests of transformalayered, like cakes, offering a vital mental “turning point.” tion, you enter in one state and you emerge transformed." This sense of community and collaboration is perhaps The pattern that appears from Devlin’s enormous archive, best exemplified by Devlin’s UK Pavilion, designed for the whether it’s her production design for an Adele concert, the Dubai World Expo in 2021. Every visitor was invited to add stage set for Cumberbatch’s Hamlet or a climate-motivated a word as they entered the “giant wooden musical instru- art installation, is not to recreate an existing narrative, but to ment.” The text then emerged, via AI, as part of a 20-metre reshape that story so visitors may leave renewed. Her ideas collective poem on the building’s surface. Devlin’s interest are so valued because she can make that sense of awe and in both literature and technology is evident, with quotes inspiration stick. How many of us remember concerts we go from novels and snippets of poetry cited as inspiration for to for the music alone? Songs are available on apps like several projects. The design for Saint Laurent by Anthony Spotify and YouTube. Shakespeare’s plays can be borrowed Vaccarello’s Mens Spring/Summer 2023 show, for exam- from the library, or read online. Great set design helps keep ple, was inspired by Paul Bowles’ The Sheltering Sky (1949), the joy of in-person performance alive. She enables us to placing a giant ring of light in the Agafay Desert. Time and become architects of our own memories, whereby a stage again, Devlin takes art and turns it into something different. set becomes part of an unforgettable, all-encompassing Another key strand is Devlin’s engagement with the cli- experience. How we feel in that moment will stay with us mate. In the new book, she tells Hans Ulrich Obrist about and, hopefully, change us. Devlin has a unique and underher work on the extinction crisis. She is inspired by a quote reported job, one of a maverick who turns abstract ideas from poet Alexis Pauline Gumbs, which reads: “We have the into concrete realities. Crucially, her role reminds us that opportunity now, as a species fully in touch with each other, visual art bleeds into everything we see and do. It's a sleight to unlearn and relearn our patterns of thinking and story- of hand that deftly conjures tangible worlds into existence.

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Right: Pavilion design by Es Devlin. Image by Alin Constantin Photography.

Words Vamika Sinha

An Atlas of Es Devlin Cooper Hewitt, New York Until 11 August cooperhewitt.org

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Beyond Portraiture Morgan Otagburuagu

“There has always been a narrow definition of beauty in the fashion industry,” says Lagos-based photographer Morgan Otagburuagu (b. 1997). “This inspired me to explore unconventional, in-your-face portraiture; the kind you wouldn't see in a traditional beauty story.” Otagburuagu is passionate about standing up against colourism, amplifying the beauty of dark skin and honouring stories of trailblazing Black women. His pictures are also deeply personal. After losing both parents in 2021, Otagburuagu began to incorporate flowers as symbols of grief, mourning, rebirth and celebration. Shown here is Being Black and Colourful II, in which orange petals cascade down a subject’s face and neck. “This is one of my first personal works. At the time, I was renting cameras for the day to shoot projects that were close to my heart. It was included in my first exhibition, and, with the proceeds, I bought my own camera.” morganotagburuagu.com | doylewham.com

Morgan Otagburuagu, Being Black and Colourful II (2020). Courtesy of the artist and Doyle Wham.

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Morgan Otagburuagu. Black Warrior I (2022). Courtesy of the artist and Doyle Wham.

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Morgan Otagburuagu, Corolla I (2020). Courtesy of the artist and Doyle Wham.

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Morgan Otagburuagu, Black Bola (2023). Courtesy of the artist and Doyle Wham.

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Morgan Otagburuagu, Blush (2023). Courtesy of the artist and Doyle Wham.

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art

Morgan Otagburuagu. Black Warrior II (2022). Courtesy of the artist and Doyle Wham.

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Morgan Otagburuagu, Corolla II (2020). Courtesy of the artist and Doyle Wham.

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Morgan Otagburuagu, Beauty Story (2020). Courtesy of the artist and Doyle Wham.

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Morgan Otagburuagu, In Bloom (2023). Courtesy of the artist and Doyle Wham.

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art

Radiant Geography Tom Leighton

Rock formations, volcanic geology and lush foliage are key to Tom Leighton’s (b. 1981) alluring photographs. Here, we traverse holographic pools gleaming with luminous pinks, bold purples and oranges. Whilst these shots might seem otherworldly, they offer lessons about how life on this planet came to be. Leighton confronts us with “rare evidence of the colossal pressures which created the surface of the Earth … a manifestation of the planet’s physical history: times of stability veined with turbulent change, fault lines which can be a metaphor for our current human landscape.” Elsewhere, the photographer takes viewers into the forest under cover of darkness, showing a glimpse of what we might see if human night vision were to evolve. The camera zooms in on intricate leaves at sunset – the moment when photosynthesis stops and respiration begins. At once futuristic and reflective, these pictures occupy the borderlines between fine art, geography and botany. tleighton.com

Tom Leighton, Phosphor, (2023). Image courtesy the artist.

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Tom Leighton, Noctura, (2021). Image courtesy the artist.

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Tom Leighton, Canyon, (2020). Image courtesy the artist.

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Tom Leighton, Flux, (2023). Image courtesy the artist.

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Tom Leighton, Resurgence, (2023). Image courtesy the artist.

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Tom Leighton, Serriform, (2022). Image courtesy the artist.

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Tom Leighton, Threshold, (2023). Image courtesy the artist.

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Tom Leighton, Traverse, (2023). Image courtesy the artist.

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Tom Leighton, Shrouded, (2023). Image courtesy the artist.

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Tom Leighton, Fission, (2022). Image courtesy the artist.

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Tom Leighton, Liminal, (2023). Image courtesy the artist.

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art

Richness of Colour Andrea Torres Balaguer

The history of paint is filled with intriguing stories. In The Anatomy of Colour (Thames & Hudson), Patrick Baty recounts several such anecdotes, each tied together by desire, risk and a quest for perfection. During the 18th century, Prussian Blue was considered an “extraordinary colour” that cost twice as much as other hues. In Germany, Vermilion Red, of which “there was nothing quite like”, was produced by combining sulphur and mercury, and was also used as a sedative. It wasn’t until 1880 that William Morris stopped using poisonous Arsenic Green in his iconic wallpapers. Today, similarly intoxicating jewel tones are the hallmark of Andrea Torres Balaguer’s (b. 1990) photographic portraits. The pictures could easily be mistaken for classical oil paintings. Garnet red and emerald green are backdrops for gold silk blouses and deep velvet gowns. A single, confident brush stroke cuts straight across each face, cloaking the subject in anonymity. andreatorresbalaguer.com

Andrea Torres Balaguer Marmalade (2018).

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Andrea Torres Balaguer Vermilion (2022).

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Andrea Torres Balaguer Satin (2023).

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Andrea Torres Balaguer Umbra (2019).

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Andrea Torres Balaguer, Velvet (2017).

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Andrea Torres Balaguer Bloom (2019).

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Andrea Torres Balaguer Candle (2020).

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Andrea Torres Balaguer Azure (2018).

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Andrea Torres Balaguer Tango (2023).

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Andrea Torres Balaguer Allure (2019).

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Andrea Torres Balaguer Satsuma (2021).

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art

Vision of the Future NGV Triennial ART CALLS FOR COLLECTIVE ACTION IN THE FACE OF THE CLIMATE CRISIS, WITH OMINOUS FLAGS THAT REVEAL THE OIL INDUSTRY'S HISTORY AND IMPACT.

When John Gerrard (b. 1974) was a child, he noticed earth- from the International Energy Agency. China is behind most worms floating in puddles of water across a field, near his of this growth, with a record high of 17.1 millions of barrels home, in the idyllic countryside of County Tipperary, Ireland. per day in September. By 2050, nearly 10 billion people “I remember being perplexed and saddened by it,” Gerrard, will exist on Earth, raising humanity’s carbon footprint and who is now 49 years old, says. “It was obviously strange that asking the pivotal question of how finite resources, like fossil these worms were all dead.” They had died because of ex- fuels, will be distributed and consumed. Meanwhile, the oil cessive pesticide and toxic farming practices, which posed a industry raked in $144.58 billion in the third quarter of 2023 threat to the insects, animals, flowers and plants in the sur- (NRDC), despite consumers being burdened with the criprounding ecosystem, a place Gerrard and his family called pling weight of oil prices, which have spiked as countries conhome. “There’d been an over-usage of toxins within the land- tinue to experience the worst inflation rates in recent memory. scape,” Gerrard recalls. Earthworms don’t technically qualify Gerrard’s fixation on the environment stems from his upas pests, but were victim to chemicals in the soil. “That rela- bringing in Tipperary and seeing how his verdant, peaceful tionship – between what’s called progress and development, hometown changed over time. This developed a consciousand is actually death – was definitely part of my childhood.” ness that shapes most of his politically oriented artworks Today, he works as a multidisciplinary artist using game en- today. “My mother was an environmentalist and ecologist, gine-based technology to build highly-aesthetic, attention- so we had a lot of discussions about agriculture and the sysgrabbing simulations, which mesmerise viewers. They offer tems we were surrounded with in the countryside,” Gerrard virtual, yet hauntingly realistic, worlds that remind us of the says. “If farmers sprayed on the wrong day, we would see the impending dread of climate change, and how toxic emissions effects in our garden. She was very interested in humans and pose permanent damage to the future viability of habitats their usage of the landscape, which informed my practice.” on planet Earth, and the numerous species who live upon it. The result is Gerrard’s iconic triptych of emissions-based According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Ad- flags, which function as an alarm for global warming. Now, ministration, 91 percent of excess heat energy from green- one of them, Flare, is on display at the National Gallery of house gases is trapped in the ocean, putting coastal popula- Victoria Triennial in Melbourne, Australia. It’s a major event tions at risk of natural disasters like cyclones and tsunamis. that exhibits artworks from 100 artists across four levels of It’s also caused the bleaching of coral reefs, compromised the spacious, Jazz-era building. This year’s theme is Magic, marine breeding grounds and altered migration patterns Matter, and Memory, and those exhibiting include trailblazer of fish like salmon and sharks. Global oil demand has risen Tracey Emin; performance artist Yoko Ono; Iranian painter to 102 million barrels per day, according to recent figures Farrokh Mahdavi; the Parisian fashion house Schiaparelli;

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John Gerrard, Flare at Galway International Arts Festival (2022). Photographer: Ros Kavanagh.

“Gerrard’s flags remain a promise of what is to come, a warning that can only be heeded if everyday people decide to rise against the threat of climate change, and demonstrate that enough is enough.”

Previous page: John Gerrard, Western Flag (Spindletop, Texas) (2017-2019). Desert X / Coachella Valley, CA, USA. © Lance Gerber

Left: John Gerrard, Western Flag (Spindletop, Texas) (2017-2019). Desert X / Coachella Valley, CA, USA. © Lance Gerber

multidisciplinary Indigenous artist Betty Muffler; Dutch designer Iris van Herpen and the Italian sculptor Diego Cibelli. Whilst Gerrard’s artwork is confined inside NGV’s walls, the artist’s virtual worlds tend to appear on massive LED panels in public spaces. Here, they catch the attention of regular passersby, and potentially inspire them to political action. “As an artist, I’m working in the public domain, so I often choose worlds that are placed on the street. In that setting, you will reach members of the public who would feel less comfortable entering a museum. I’m motivated to work out on the street in order to collide with unexpecting publics.” The Irish artist’s breathtaking simulations have appeared in spaces and events that range from the mundane to the disruptive, the aesthetically-centered to the politically-charged, using eye-catching LED walls to provoke questions about the climate crisis. Gerrard’s immersive Surrender (2023) glimmered in the background of a U2 concert as the activist-friendly band staged their first live performance in four years in a stadium teeming with thousands. The haunting Flare (Oceania) (2021) appeared at the COP26 UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, in which a pact was drawn to reduce coal usage worldwide. In September 2020, Mirror Pavilion, Corn Work, a cube-shaped LED simulation depicting Irish folk figures known as the straw boys, and with three reflective sides mirroring local citizens, perched on the edge of a pier in front of a river in Galway, Ireland. The waterway once offered clean renewable energy before the rise of fossil fuels. Similarly, Gerrard’s ominous Western Flag flashed on the front of Somerset House, London, on Earth Day in 2017. “Art can trouble people, it can pose unexpected questions about nationhood, energy and power. Western Flag tried

to recall things like Trump pulling out of the Paris Accords shortly after he was elected; it became a symbol for a failure of politics to deal with climate change. Part of the question of the artwork is if there’s any other forum where people can create change – other than a national forum with all these geopolitical tensions. Because, at present, we are not really addressing climate change in any meaningful way,” he says. Gerrard exposes this in his series of flags looming over the ethereal waters of the South Pacific ocean, a barren Texan landscape, and a moonlit Mojave desert. And yet, the flags aren’t made of cloth, nor do they contain telltale symbols, billowing for the pride of any nation. In Western Flag (Spindletop, Texas) (2017), smoky black carbon dioxide emissions linger around a thin pole shooting into the air, echoing the Lucas Gusher Oil Strike in Spindletop, Texas, in 1901. A huge underground geyser exploded, gushing nearly 100,000 barrels per day and leading to the founding of oil companies like Exxon and Texaco. Gerrard says “a lot of the carbon dioxide released from burning fossil fuels since 1901 in Texas is still in the atmosphere.” Western Flag, originally commissioned by Channel 4, also for Earth Day, has reached cult-like notoriety as a widely-shared meme on the internet. In Flare (Oceania), on view at NGV, a vivid orange gas flare flickers almost threateningly over the ocean, a harbinger of the danger rapidly-heating water poses to low-lying seaside areas, incurring natural disaster and the gradual extinction of island and coastal communities. In 2016, five Pacific islands disappeared underwater, and some scientists predict that the Polynesian nation of Tuvalu will possibly submerge by the end of the century. Uili Lousi, an artist and activist born in the Polynesian archipelago of Tonga, photographed the softly-

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John Gerrard, Flare at Galway International Arts Festival (2022). Photographer: Emilija Jefremova.

lapping, majestic ocean waters featured in the artwork. “Flare was always an alarm for the hot present, the heating ocean. It was always [meant] to be a disturbing portrait of the now.” The aptly-titled Surrender (2023), however, signals hope. It depicts a white flag set within a real-time simulation of a site near the Mojave Desert in Nevada, USA. Its heavenly-white plumes diverge from the toxicity of Flare and Western Flag, but it’s difficult not to wonder if their peace, purity and transience aren’t too late in a world incontrovertibly damaged by the global use and expediency of fossil fuels, and the multibillion-dollar oil industry, which is driving their consumption. NGV Triennial's other artists confront key ecological and socio-political questions. In Yoko Ono’s conceptual piece, the black letters I Love You Earth blaze on a white canvas hanging on the exterior of the NGV International Building, facing traffic and the street. The installation highlights Ono’s famous flippant disregard for power since the 1960s, when she was a performer and activist against the Vietnam War. This work brings to mind Jenny Holzer’s engagement with large-scale, provocative statements set in busy public places. Similarly, Tracey Emin pens a love poem in bright pink neon lights in her scrawling, cursive handwriting in Love poem for CF (2007), the letters glowing: Each Part/For Ever/ Belonging to You. It’s difficult to tell if the desire and annihilation in the words suggests the overwhelming passion of love or its capacity to destroy – maybe both. And, the harrowing bronze sculpture, This is exactly how I feel right now (2016), shows a mangled figure of a woman on the ground, one leg sticking out as if in pain, the other missing, rendered voiceless, as her head is cut off. Emin’s sculpture is grotesque and beautiful, violent and haunting at the same time, showing the

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aestheticised pain women endure as sex objects cannibalised by the hunger of men. By contrast, Schiaparelli’s gilded designs – transposed onto feminised mannequins – exhibit femininity in a more illusory way, with a profusion of pink roses teeming on a black minidress, or a gold composition of dreamlike flowers presented as a bralette. There’s also a denim jacket embroidered with a swirling breastplate, resembling armour, that blurs boundaries between fashion and art. The unforgettable takeaway of the Triennial remains a large-scale photography exhibition on the third floor featuring 10 photographers, including Farhana Satu, Gustavo Minas, Hana Gamal, Saumya Khandelwal, Yagazie Emezi, and more, representing different megacities in the global south. Here, the apocalyptic urgency of Gerrard’s flag triptych comes to life in the streets of Cairo, Jakarta, Lagos, São Paulo. There are visions of urban sprawl, slums floating in polluted water, trash littered on the edge of a shallow pond, a small child selling balloons, dozens of Indonesian motorists riding cheap motorbikes in congested traffic, a barbed fence silhouetting the shadow of a pyramid, shabby buildings rising into a gold-lit sky, a rickshaw parked underneath loping flyovers, and more. This is happening now, but it's impossible to save the planet until the contradictions of urban planning, wealth distribution and political corruption are addressed in the most densely-populated cities in the world. Until then, Gerrard’s flags – alongside work by contemporary environmental artists like Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg and Edward Burtynsky – are a promise of what is to come, a warning that can only be heeded when everyday people decide to rise up against the threat of climate change and, through collective action, demonstrate that enough really is enough.

Right: John Gerrard, Western Flag (Spindletop, Texas) (2017-2019). Desert X / Coachella Valley, CA, USA. © Lance Gerber

Words Iman Sultan

NGV Triennial Melbourne 3 December - 7 April ngv.vic.gov.au

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Evocative Storytelling Polina Washington

It will come as no surprise to readers that Polina Washington's (b. 1991) background is in cinematography. Light and colour are crucial to her body of work. In the following pages, complete stories are communicated through a singular sunbeam, or door left ajar. Viewers may be reminded of Roger Deakins (Blade Runner 2049, Sicario), known for his command of blues and oranges, or the room-sized light and space installations of James Turrell. These pictures are delicate and carefully crafted, delivered with precision and attention to detail. Some characters shade their eyes from the glare of an artificial sun or open window, whilst others lie back, bathing in warm shafts of red, white and yellow. Washington was born in the small city of Veliky Novgorod, Russia, and later studied to be a Director of Photography (DoP) in St. Petersburg. Now, she shares her skills with others, teaching workshops and pushing students to work with, rather than against, their fears. polinawashington.com

Polina Washington, from Till The Light Separates Us (2023).

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Polina Washington, from It’s Not About Win or Lose (2022).

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Polina Washington, from Till The Light Separates Us (2023).

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Polina Washington, from Tainted Love (2023).

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Polina Washington, from The Past Is Something You Could See (2020).

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Polina Washington, from Silent Mode (2023).

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Polina Washington, from Till The Light Separates Us (2023).

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Polina Washington, from Don’t Think About Me (2021).

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Polina Washington, from Till The Light Separates Us (2023).

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art

Message in the Sky Reuben Wu BEYOND FILM, TV, MAPPING AND CLIMATE MONITORING, NON-MILITARY DRONES ARE BEING USED BY INNOVATIVE PHOTOGRAPHERS TO LIGHT UP THE SKY AT NIGHT.

The earliest pilotless vehicles were developed in Britain and dytron, but for crafting mesmeric landscape shots featuring the USA during WWI. Imperial War Museum, London, traces glowing geometric shapes. Halos – created by light-carrying the first test flight back to March 1917, and the use of the drones and long exposures – encircle high peaks, emerge word “drone” is attributed to the inter-war period, around from canyons and hover over open water. Now, as a National 1935. Since then, unmanned aerial technologies have been Geographic Photographer with clients including Apple, Audi, developed for array of non-military purposes: from photog- Samsung and Volkswagen, he’s interested in how we can harraphy and filming to delivering goods, monitoring weather ness abstract concepts of time and space to help tell compelconditions, surveillance, search and rescue missions and ling stories about our world. He has visited various remote lomore. They are becoming increasingly popular as an alter- cations across the globe, including glaciers, deserts, salt flats native entertainment choice, replacing fireworks to create im- and mountain ranges, where he sets up each shot with precipressive and hypnotising light displays considered cleaner, sion. At a time in which it can be hard to decipher “real” from quieter and safer than the traditional pyrotechnic explosive. “artificial”, Wu shows us what it is possible to create in real life The influence between art and science, as always, runs both and on location, using post-production skills rather than AIways. Designers are now harnessing the creative potential of generation prompts or 3D rendering. We speak to the artist drones to push research and innovation forward. In October about his practice, touching upon the relationship between 2023, Dutch studio DRIFT staged a large-scale, 1,000-drone documentary and fine art, and tracing his influences back performance over New York’s Central Park, simulating an to Harold “Doc” Edgerton (1903-1990) – the first person to illuminated flock of starlings. Titled Franchise Freedom, it’s “stop time” by inventing the strobe light in the early 1930s. based on a biological algorithm from over 10 years’ research into flight behaviour. The studio is dedicated to stretching A: Where did your journey behind the camera begin? the boundaries between nature and technology, and re- When did you first use a drone, and where are you now? establishing connections between people and the natural RW: My path into photography was indirect. I only found my world. Franchise Freedom is a testament to the power of inter- passion for it after I started touring the world with my elecdisciplinarity, and what can be achieved when the seemingly tronic band, Ladytron, which formed in Liverpool in 1999. disparate worlds of engineering, art and ornithology collide. Image-making was an alternative creative outlet that came The reach of this burgeoning technology goes beyond per- from exploring new countries. It snowballed, and I went from formance and public art. Reuben Wu (b. 1975) is applying documenting my surroundings to immersing myself into althe same ethos to photography. He is a notable name, rec- ternative processes such as film, Polaroid and infrared phoognised not only for his contribution to electronic band La- tography. I’ve held on to the notion of experimentation with

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Reuben Wu, from Lux Noctis (Ongoing project). Image courtesy of the artist.

“I capture long exposures using artificial lighting. Sometimes I will send a drone, other times the source is handheld, or I’ll use light painting tools. I see the process as akin to traditional brushstrokes.”

Previous page: Reuben Wu, from Field of Infinity (2019). Image courtesy of the artist. Left: Reuben Wu, from Field of Infinity (2019). Image courtesy of the artist.

technology and began to attach lights to drones in 2015. Now, my work is in the permanent collections of Guggenheim Museum, The Metropolitan Museum of Art and MoMA. A: Where did the ideas for Aeroglyphs and Lux Noctis come from? They seem to be quite ahead of their time. RW: Lux Noctis draws on classic landscape imagery and is inspired by 19th century romantic painters like Caspar David Friedrich, John Constable and J. M. W. Turner, but it uses aerial light to create a completely new look and feel. It’s also influenced by planetary exploration, chiaroscuro painting and science fiction. The idea was to depict landscapes unbound by time and space. I initially used this lighting technique for a project I was working on with a car. It was through this experimentation that I realised how well the approach could work for documenting landscape. I saw how interesting the light trails left by the drone under long exposure were – like a form of environmental land art. I leaned into that and put the focus on the shape of the light forms and how they illuminated the surrounding environment. I called these temporary geometries – over land, water and sky – Aeroglyphs. A: Tell us about some of the places you have visited along the way. Is there anywhere that really stands out? RW: I’ve photographed in several remote and extreme locations. A place I keep coming back to is Utah. It’s somewhere I used to dream about as a kid growing up in the UK. I was finally able to experience its deserts – the Mojave, Great Basin and Great Salt Lake – fully once I moved to the USA 10 years ago. Bolivia is another location that stands out. I first visited in 2019, and it’s where I made the Field of Infinity

series during a week-long road trip. The Salar de Uyuni in the southwest is one of the most sublime – and coldest – places I’ve ever experienced. It’s the world’s largest salt flat, stretching more than 4,050 square miles, and was formed out of huge prehistoric lakes that evaporated a very long time ago. A: Your pictures are so magical – one might be forgiven for thinking they are made with digital tools like Photoshop or 3D rendering. Can you walk us through the process of making one of your images, from start to finish? RW: Each piece takes a few hours, at least. I start the day by scouting the location and deciding on my composition, camera position and angle, and lock the tripod in position. I wait until the light starts getting good, usually just before sunset, and begin shooting select frames as it gets darker until nightfall. Once it is completely dark, I capture long exposures using artificial light. Sometimes I’ll send up a drone, other times the source is handheld, or I’ll use various other light painting tools. I see this process as akin to traditional brushstrokes, where I’m drawing lines of light that are at very specific angles to the surrounding environment. Texture and contrast are also elements I like to explore whilst on location. A: What is the role of post-production and editing? How do you make these compositions look so perfect and crisp? RW: The post-production phase is all about creating the final work. It involves layering and painting multiple exposures on top of one another to create the vision I had in mind. It’s a very important stage. The shoot is pretty unrestrained and playful, whereas post-production is a more disciplined task where I’m sharply focused on creating the story I want to tell.

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Reuben Wu, from Field of Infinity (2019). Image courtesy of the artist.

A: You’re a collaborator of National Geographic, a leading publication that is best known for its science and environment stories, but you've also been published by Artsy, Colossal and Designboom. Are art and reportage separate genres, or do you think they should converge? RW: National Geographic is not just a champion of factual science and journalism, it also stands for photography and using technology to tell visual stories better. As someone who is both a National Geographic photographer and a visual artist, I’m very careful in being transparent about how I make images for the publication and its audience. I know that my work can seem otherworldly, and even digitally rendered to some eyes, but there is a realness in my images that simply can’t be created in Photoshop or 3D modelling. My aim has always been to show the familiar under an unfamiliar light, and I feel that is part of National Geographic’s core tenet, too.

year-old Stonehenge in Wiltshire, England. The formation is one of the most photographed landmarks in the world, and I wanted to bring new meaning to this old and storied subject. A: Technology is influencing art in new and interesting ways all the time, from immersive installations to controversial AI generated content. How do you see that relationship developing going forward? Is it exciting, or do you have any concern for the future of human creativity? RW: The inexorable development of technology is something that certainly inspires me. It’s also pushing the boundaries of art. I use digital tools to inspire new ideas that, without the technology, I simply would not have had. However, that said, I think these kinds of tools should always be in service to the story, otherwise it is just a demo. Art and technology merge together best when the human factor is so entwined in the process that you cannot deny the value of either element.

A: Is there value in these worlds colliding? What can an “artistic” point of view bring to traditional documentary? A: Are there any visual artists, filmmakers or photograIs there a project you have worked on that embodies this? phers whom you particularly admire – past or present? RW: I would argue that all the pictures in National Geograph- What do you find inspiring about them or their artwork? ic are made from an artistic perspective. All I am doing is RW: Doc Edgerton was a pioneer of the strobe flash in the using old tools – light, shadow, colour, contrast, texture – in 1930s, an innovator who allowed us to “stop time” and capa new way. We are overwhelmed every day by beautiful, yet ture what the unaided eye could not see. The cinematografamiliar, images. I imagine these scenes transformed into un- phy of Andrei Tarkovsky is also a big inspiration, as are the discovered landscapes, which renew our perceptions of the surreal worlds of David Lynch. In photography, Evgenia Arworld. The goal is to open people’s eyes to a subject and bugaeva combines documentary and fine art to record life maybe change the way they feel about it. It all comes down in the Russian Arctic, whilst Gregory Crewdson’s filmic works to what I feel is the focus of the picture, what it is drawing at- are endlessly compelling. Helena Sarin, James Turrell, Jeff tention to and how it helps to tell a part of a bigger story. In Frost, Michael Wolf, Neil Krug and Taryn Simon, to name just 2021, for example, I was commissioned to photograph 5,000 a few, are also up there on my long list of creative influences.

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Right: Reuben Wu, from Field of Infinity (2019). Image courtesy of the artist.

Words Eleanor Sutherland

Further details of Reuben Wu's forthcoming projects can be found online. reubenwu.com

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art

Meaning in Collage Jooeun Bae

“This is more than just a display of objects,” writes Jooeun Bae (b. 1994), an artist based in Seoul who specialises in collage and photography. The Mono– series, which is shown here, is inspired by 30 of the artist’s immediate family, friends and work colleagues. Each object is matched up to a person, and, after photographing the item, a handmade collage is crafted from the prints. Coffee cups, mirrors, water jugs and headphones are folded and distorted into geometric shapes against bright backgrounds. “It's testament to the singular beauty and essence of each individual in our lives,” the artist says. Bae is passionate about cutting, pasting and combining disparate elements together, which she believes comes in part from her experiences living between the USA and South Korea. “I have had many different but significant events that have shaped who I am now, like how different parts are put together to create one collage.” jooeunbae.com

Jooeun Bae, Mono Coffee Cup, from Mono- (2021).

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Jooeun Bae, Mono Massage Ball, from Mono- (2022).

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Jooeun Bae, Mono Tape, from Mono- (2022).

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Jooeun Bae, Mono Phone Charger, from Mono- (2021).

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Jooeun Bae, Mono Mirror, from Mono- (2021).

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Jooeun Bae, Mono Scissors, from Mono- (2021).

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Jooeun Bae, Mono Water Bottle, from Mono- (2022).

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Jooeun Bae, Different Lives but Same Thoughts, from Colorful Scissors (2021).

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Jooeun Bae, Mono Hanger, from Mono- (2021).

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Jooeun Bae, Handmade, from Colorful Scissors (2021).

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Jooeun Bae, Mono Container, from Mono- (2022).

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Striking Landforms Jonas Daley

The Gobi Desert, which stretches across northern China and southern Mongolia, is listed amongst the top 10 largest deserts in the world. Its name means “waterless place”, and temperatures vary from an average of -40ºC in winter, to 45ºC during the summer months. There are strong winds all year round, becoming icy at dusk. Here, Shenzhen-based Jonas Daley (b. 1996) documents the region where Haixi and Dunhuang meet – a landform that took shape more than 75 million years ago. The deep black mountain range – imposing, barren, rocky – stands out against pale orange and pastel pink skies, rising and falling like something from another planet. Daley had to explore the region on foot; the Gobi consists of soft soil, which makes vehicular travel challenging. The artist was born in China and has long been captivated by the country’s diverse landscapes. His signature style merges warm and romantic colour palettes with sublime natural forms. phodaley.com