The internationally renowned Studio Lemercier, co-directed by independent curator, Juliette Bibasse and visual artist and climate activist, Joanie Lemercier, is making its Scottish debut at St Andrews Botanic Gardens as part of the Garden’s ‘Summer Art Nights’.
Over the course of four weekends, Studio Lemercier will be showing new and existing work across different mediums including light installations, a video work and plotter drawings corresponding to the garden’s approach to reframing our perspective on the natural world.
Studio Lemercier explores the intersection of light, art, political ecology and energy. Experimenting with unconventional media such as water mist, build up surfaces, trees and wild plants, their light installations encourage audiences to reflect on the representation of nature through technology and their perception of reality. While Studio Lemercier draw inspiration from the legacy of the light and space movement, they are dedicated to responding to the ecological crisis by developing a different studio practice and low-tech solutions, as well as incorporating environmental activism into their work.
Juliette Bibasse from Studio Mercier added: “In the past couple of years, we have developed many projects in the comfort of our Brussels’ studio space. Recently, we have made it our priority to work in direct relationship with natural environments, giving ourselves new constraints such as being ‘off the grid’ as a way to tackle energy-related questions. We believe in the strength of art as a way to raise questions and engage in conversation. St Andrews Botanic Gardens is a perfect context for us to confront our ideas and prototypes to reality and an attentive audience. We are very excited to explore these new paths.”
St Andrews Botanic Gardens’ Summer Art Nights will run for four weekends from 19 July to 10 August and merges art and research with a series of installations, screenings, guided tours and in-conversation events. These bring together artists and researchers to discuss the relationship between the ecological crisis and art and/or aesthetics, our fascination with plants, and sustainable practices, amongst others.
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