What also defines a forest…
Research for Invisible Flock’s exhibition This is a Forest commissioned by LEEDS 2023 Year of Culture
6 October – 26 November 2023
Leeds, UK
What also defines a forest… was a curatorial research I developed over the course of 2023 on a range of definitions for terms that translate back to the English word “forest.” Definitions spanned from pragmatic understandings of what defines a forest, and specific criterias, to figurative uses of language and poetic readings. Presented as a range, they offer an insight into nuances that give away the varied perspectives from the languages and cultures that shape them.
This research was employed to support the curatorial project of Invisible Flock’s exhibition This is a Forest, commissioned by LEEDS 2023 Year of Culture, and presented in Leeds, UK, 6 October – 26 November 2023.
Translations and meanings were verified across a range of sources and included personal conversations with individuals familiarised with those languages where possible. Drawing from the wider collection of languages and terms amassed by the research, a selection was shortlisted collectively across Invisible Flock team members and collaborators of This is a Forest for display at the exhibition. From this work unfolded an intervention at the show’s entrance and exit, with definitions written down with soil against the venue’s concrete floor. This intervention was installed thanks to the work done by Layla Cochrane and Maya Novak.
Image: Installation view of floor intervention, part of the exhibition This is a Forest, an Invisible Flock project commissioned by LEEDS 2023,exhibited in Leeds, UK, 6 October – 26 November 2023.