Art Projects

Or has the idea of the forest transformed into a multidimensional concept—a political, economic, ecological, and existential metaphor where the crises, conflicts, and aspirations of the contemporary world become deeply interconnected? “Being A Forest” does not approach the forest as a lost paradise, a romanticized image of nature, or merely an object of conservation. Instead, the exhibition understands the forest as a living, evolving, and uncertain system—an intricate field where nature, history, power, technology, memory, and human desire continuously move through processes of conflict, dependency, transformation, and reconstruction. Here, the forest is not an external landscape; it is a reflection of human existence itself. It becomes a metaphor for our psychological, social, and political landscapes, where questions of survival, domination, vulnerability, coexistence, and transformation exist simultaneously. We are living in a time often described through the concept of the "Anthropogenic"—an era in which human activities have become a powerful force shaping the Earth’s climate, geological conditions, and biodiversity. However, this “human” is not a singular or unified entity. Embedded within this human impact are the complex structures of state ideologies, corporate power, global economic systems, technological infrastructures, colonial histories, and the enduring legacy of unequal international relationships.

From this perspective, the disappearance of forests is not merely an ecological crisis; it is also a reflection of the structures of power that govern our world. Decisions about which forests are protected, which rivers are exploited, and which lands are transformed in the name of development are never purely environmental decisions. They are political decisions shaped by economic interests, state policies, and global power relations. Mineral extraction, industrial agriculture, urban expansion, and resource-driven economies have transformed nature into a contested territory where the promise of development and the reality of destruction operate simultaneously. The technologically driven civilization of the present moment has further complicated this crisis. Digital networks, artificial intelligence, and algorithmic systems are reshaping human existence while creating new forms of dependency, surveillance, and alienation. Philosopher Byung-Chul Han, in his book "The Burnout Society", argues that contemporary individuals have become part of a system of endless self-exploitation, productivity, and competition—where “the exploiter and the exploited have become the same person.” Similarly, Hartmut Rosa, in "Alienation and Acceleration", examines how the increasing speed of modern life creates a condition in which humans become disconnected from themselves, from others, and from the world around them. Martin Heidegger, in his essay "The Question Concerning Technology", warns that when technology teaches us to perceive the Earth merely as a resource for use, our fundamental relationship with existence becomes weakened. Donna Haraway, in "Staying with the Trouble", reminds us that humans are not separate entities outside nature; rather, we are part of a larger web of living relationships.

The contemporary metropolis has therefore become a new kind of forest. Trees have been replaced by architectural structures; roots have transformed into invisible networks of data, finance, and communication; and the natural movement of life has been replaced by the endless circulation of information, labor, migration, and capital. Within this urban forest, human beings exist simultaneously as creators, controllers, consumers, and prisoners of the systems they have constructed. “Being A Forest” engages with these contradictions. It is not a simple environmental declaration; rather, it is a philosophical and curatorial inquiry into the worlds humanity has created and the futures it continues to shape. Each artwork within this exhibition functions as a small ecosystem, where memory, technology, conflict, embodiment, landscape, and political histories become interconnected. To become a forest does not mean becoming a tree; it means acknowledging the multiplicity within ourselves—the coexistence of conflict and harmony, destruction and regeneration, isolation and connection. The forest is not a lost place that exists outside us. It already exists within our cities, within our technologies, within our histories, and most profoundly, within the deepest structures of our own existence.

- Dipayon Ghosh & Samba Prasad Biswas