after the covid-19 lockdown was lifted in Spain, artist Eugenio Ampudia’s Concert For the Biocene was displayed in the Gran Teatro del Liceu. the exhibit occurred on June 22nd and, as can be seen through the provided images and video above, consisted of a beautiful string quartet performance to an audience made entirely up of different plant life.
this exhibition was meant to comment on “the necessity of reformulating the present from post humanist postulates and eco-social compromise” (Eugenio Ampudia), stressing the importance of connection between humans and nature. through the symbolic gesture of this concert Ampudia is calling for a necessary paradigm shift planting nature at the very center of our universe. especially in light of the covid-19 mass quarantining, the human existence has never posed more of a threat to nature. as people became increasingly isolated the surrounding ecosystems thrived, proving how detrimental our current society is to the lives of plants. by creating a performance that is usually intended for a human audience but instead is put on for 2,292 plants, Ampudia is prompting us to reconsider the way we regard nature within our lives. overall, this work has served to “rethink what happened during these months, remembering that the moment we stayed at home, nature came forward to take back what has always been hers” (Collateral).
I particularly enjoyed this exhibition because of the formality of the performance. in the beginning the typical announcement is played to turn off all cellular devices and have respect for fellow audience members, holding the plants in the audience to as high of a standard as one would hold a typical crowd made up of people. additionally, the beauty of the music and professionalism of the performers gives the impression that their audience is of high status and great importance; the spectators are deserving of the very best quality. additionally, at the very end of the performance the exhibition video edits the plants to sound as if they were clapping, personifying them into real audience members and therefore making the statement that nature is not simply something stagnant in the background of human life but rather lives and breathes just as we do and should be regarded as such.
finally, I would like to mention the importance of the viewer and how they must observe from a screen art which is very obviously meant to be experienced in person. although the plants are thriving in the audience they are still contained to their various pots and boxes, producing a sense of duplicity and lack of authenticity. this is meant to express how nature today will never be truly genuine as it has been passed through human hands and been at the receiving end of abuse from the now produced Anthropocene.
as we have emerged back to “normal” life post-pandemic I believe it is still essential to remember what happened to our environment whilst we were in confinement. when viewing the positive effects our quarantining had on local ecosystems many understood the importance of taking care of the environment and vowed to make greater efforts even when they became released from the confinement of their homes. however, as life has returned to how it was before covid so have our destructive habits. I find that this art exhibition is still entirely relevant and should be taken as an urgent message, even two years after its initial release.
WORKS CITED
https://aldianews.com/en/culture/music/concert-plants
http://www.eugenioampudia.net/en/portfolio/concierto-para-el-bioceno/
https://www.collater.al/en/concert-for-the-biocene-barcelona-music/
https://a-desk.org/en/spotlight/concierto-para-el-bioceno/
https://maxestrella.com/exhibition/concert-for-the-biocene/
I found this art exhibit from a tik tok, crazy to think what fascinating stuff my for you page recommends me. I hope it stays this way.
<3,
blaire
blaire sheftel 