Artist Interview: Laurane Le Goff
We sit down with artist and environmentalist Laurane Le Goff
April 22, 2022
Could you tell us a bit about yourself, your academic and professional background?
I studied science at high school, and then I did an art foundation year; I got a degree in textile design and costume making, but I never wanted to be an artist. During my studies I was also very engaged with social and environmental justice. I worked for Alternative, a French NGO operating on a local level to implement social and climate justice. There, I was in charge of programming, creating conferences, and managing activities, and also organised actions with Youth for Climate to raise awareness about the negative environmental impact of the fashion industry.
I started feeling anxious about my role in this context of climate change and social injustices so, after all of this, I went to Labverde in the Amazon for an art residency. This experience inspired me to merge art and science and is the reason why I have enrolled in the MSc in Art and Science at Central Saint Martins.
So, do you do advocacy through your art? What goals are you trying to achieve with your artistic practice?
One of the reasons I am studying Art and Science is because I want to combine all the aspects I care about: activism, art, and social and environmental justice. My work is getting more and more activist, since I really struggle to create art projects without an ethical purpose… I don’t want to be an artist just for the sake of it, I want to bring a narrative to people through my artistic practice.
What is the link between arts and science for you? How are they linked in your artistic practice?
During my bachelor’s degree in Textile Design and Custom Making I worked in the Biology lab and studied organisms. My art was inspired by microorganisms, and I wanted to explain with the language of art the beauty that science discovers but can’t convey.
For instance, I observed with the microscope some leaves that have crystals which can be represented by electricity density maps that create patterns. I printed these patterns on textiles and gave them to dancers who then created a choreography inspired by what I told them about these plants. My goal was to create a universe starting from an organism.
The idea behind all of this is that we need to change our relationships with other species; this is at the root of many issues in the climate crisis. I hope someone comes to the dance performance and gets interested in the organisms or questions their relationship with nature.
Can you tell us about your residency in Labverde and how it impacted you as an artist?
Labverde is an immersive experience in the Amazon forest. Me and the other artists followed lectures by scientists of any kind and lived in the forest. They helped us to see the diversity around us, and I was really struck by the fact that all I could see was green. Iit took me 30 minutes to spot a parrot on a tree, because my eyes were not used to seeing so much nature.
In one lecture we were told by historians that the Amazon must not be seen as an untouched place, since humans and animals have been interacting with it and co-created the forest. This information changed something in my mind, it really made me understand how humans are part of nature.
One day we went to the top of a tower and I really froze. I was trying to paint but my eyes could not catch any detail, everything was so immense, so green, it was a lot. Imagining that humans can cancel that was terrifying. I felt insignificant but at the same time I knew what my species can do to nature.
Another day we went to a beach and collected all the trash, I was then told that the sea would bring that amount of waste on the shore everyday. I brought some fishing nets to France -some of the biggest contributors to plastic waste humans produce - and embroidered them with a linen veil. I reproduced the effect of lichens, which in the Amazon are so thick and full of life, I thought there is a beautiful connection between these small organisms and the huge scale of human impact, symbolised by fishnets.
You have another project that involves dance, Dance the Amazon, can you tell us about it?
Similarly to the dance project I mentioned before, I created a fabric with the shape of the Amazon forest and I give it to dancers who create choreographies inspired by it. Any dancer can contact me at dancetheamazon@gmail.com and ask for the fabric. So far, it has been used as a costume, as part of the scenography or as an object for the choreography.
Could you tell us a bit about yourself, your academic and professional background?
I studied science at high school, and then I did an art foundation year; I got a degree in textile design and costume making, but I never wanted to be an artist. During my studies I was also very engaged with social and environmental justice. I worked for Alternative, a French NGO operating on a local level to implement social and climate justice. There, I was in charge of programming, creating conferences, and managing activities, and also organised actions with Youth for Climate to raise awareness about the negative environmental impact of the fashion industry.
I started feeling anxious about my role in this context of climate change and social injustices so, after all of this, I went to Labverde in the Amazon for an art residency. This experience inspired me to merge art and science and is the reason why I have enrolled in the MSc in Art and Science at Central Saint Martins.
So, do you do advocacy through your art? What goals are you trying to achieve with your artistic practice?
One of the reasons I am studying Art and Science is because I want to combine all the aspects I care about: activism, art, and social and environmental justice. My work is getting more and more activist, since I really struggle to create art projects without an ethical purpose… I don’t want to be an artist just for the sake of it, I want to bring a narrative to people through my artistic practice.
What is the link between arts and science for you? How are they linked in your artistic practice?
During my bachelor’s degree in Textile Design and Custom Making I worked in the Biology lab and studied organisms. My art was inspired by microorganisms, and I wanted to explain with the language of art the beauty that science discovers but can’t convey.
For instance, I observed with the microscope some leaves that have crystals which can be represented by electricity density maps that create patterns. I printed these patterns on textiles and gave them to dancers who then created a choreography inspired by what I told them about these plants. My goal was to create a universe starting from an organism.
The idea behind all of this is that we need to change our relationships with other species; this is at the root of many issues in the climate crisis. I hope someone comes to the dance performance and gets interested in the organisms or questions their relationship with nature.
Can you tell us about your residency in Labverde and how it impacted you as an artist?
Labverde is an immersive experience in the Amazon forest. Me and the other artists followed lectures by scientists of any kind and lived in the forest. They helped us to see the diversity around us, and I was really struck by the fact that all I could see was green. Iit took me 30 minutes to spot a parrot on a tree, because my eyes were not used to seeing so much nature.
In one lecture we were told by historians that the Amazon must not be seen as an untouched place, since humans and animals have been interacting with it and co-created the forest. This information changed something in my mind, it really made me understand how humans are part of nature.
One day we went to the top of a tower and I really froze. I was trying to paint but my eyes could not catch any detail, everything was so immense, so green, it was a lot. Imagining that humans can cancel that was terrifying. I felt insignificant but at the same time I knew what my species can do to nature.
Another day we went to a beach and collected all the trash, I was then told that the sea would bring that amount of waste on the shore everyday. I brought some fishing nets to France -some of the biggest contributors to plastic waste humans produce - and embroidered them with a linen veil. I reproduced the effect of lichens, which in the Amazon are so thick and full of life, I thought there is a beautiful connection between these small organisms and the huge scale of human impact, symbolised by fishnets.
You have another project that involves dance, Dance the Amazon, can you tell us about it?
Similarly to the dance project I mentioned before, I created a fabric with the shape of the Amazon forest and I give it to dancers who create choreographies inspired by it. Any dancer can contact me at dancetheamazon@gmail.com and ask for the fabric. So far, it has been used as a costume, as part of the scenography or as an object for the choreography.
Could you tell us a bit about yourself, your academic and professional background?
I studied science at high school, and then I did an art foundation year; I got a degree in textile design and costume making, but I never wanted to be an artist. During my studies I was also very engaged with social and environmental justice. I worked for Alternative, a French NGO operating on a local level to implement social and climate justice. There, I was in charge of programming, creating conferences, and managing activities, and also organised actions with Youth for Climate to raise awareness about the negative environmental impact of the fashion industry.
I started feeling anxious about my role in this context of climate change and social injustices so, after all of this, I went to Labverde in the Amazon for an art residency. This experience inspired me to merge art and science and is the reason why I have enrolled in the MSc in Art and Science at Central Saint Martins.
So, do you do advocacy through your art? What goals are you trying to achieve with your artistic practice?
One of the reasons I am studying Art and Science is because I want to combine all the aspects I care about: activism, art, and social and environmental justice. My work is getting more and more activist, since I really struggle to create art projects without an ethical purpose… I don’t want to be an artist just for the sake of it, I want to bring a narrative to people through my artistic practice.
What is the link between arts and science for you? How are they linked in your artistic practice?
During my bachelor’s degree in Textile Design and Custom Making I worked in the Biology lab and studied organisms. My art was inspired by microorganisms, and I wanted to explain with the language of art the beauty that science discovers but can’t convey.
For instance, I observed with the microscope some leaves that have crystals which can be represented by electricity density maps that create patterns. I printed these patterns on textiles and gave them to dancers who then created a choreography inspired by what I told them about these plants. My goal was to create a universe starting from an organism.
The idea behind all of this is that we need to change our relationships with other species; this is at the root of many issues in the climate crisis. I hope someone comes to the dance performance and gets interested in the organisms or questions their relationship with nature.
Can you tell us about your residency in Labverde and how it impacted you as an artist?
Labverde is an immersive experience in the Amazon forest. Me and the other artists followed lectures by scientists of any kind and lived in the forest. They helped us to see the diversity around us, and I was really struck by the fact that all I could see was green. Iit took me 30 minutes to spot a parrot on a tree, because my eyes were not used to seeing so much nature.
In one lecture we were told by historians that the Amazon must not be seen as an untouched place, since humans and animals have been interacting with it and co-created the forest. This information changed something in my mind, it really made me understand how humans are part of nature.
One day we went to the top of a tower and I really froze. I was trying to paint but my eyes could not catch any detail, everything was so immense, so green, it was a lot. Imagining that humans can cancel that was terrifying. I felt insignificant but at the same time I knew what my species can do to nature.
Another day we went to a beach and collected all the trash, I was then told that the sea would bring that amount of waste on the shore everyday. I brought some fishing nets to France -some of the biggest contributors to plastic waste humans produce - and embroidered them with a linen veil. I reproduced the effect of lichens, which in the Amazon are so thick and full of life, I thought there is a beautiful connection between these small organisms and the huge scale of human impact, symbolised by fishnets.
You have another project that involves dance, Dance the Amazon, can you tell us about it?
Similarly to the dance project I mentioned before, I created a fabric with the shape of the Amazon forest and I give it to dancers who create choreographies inspired by it. Any dancer can contact me at dancetheamazon@gmail.com and ask for the fabric. So far, it has been used as a costume, as part of the scenography or as an object for the choreography.
Could you tell us a bit about yourself, your academic and professional background?
I studied science at high school, and then I did an art foundation year; I got a degree in textile design and costume making, but I never wanted to be an artist. During my studies I was also very engaged with social and environmental justice. I worked for Alternative, a French NGO operating on a local level to implement social and climate justice. There, I was in charge of programming, creating conferences, and managing activities, and also organised actions with Youth for Climate to raise awareness about the negative environmental impact of the fashion industry.
I started feeling anxious about my role in this context of climate change and social injustices so, after all of this, I went to Labverde in the Amazon for an art residency. This experience inspired me to merge art and science and is the reason why I have enrolled in the MSc in Art and Science at Central Saint Martins.
So, do you do advocacy through your art? What goals are you trying to achieve with your artistic practice?
One of the reasons I am studying Art and Science is because I want to combine all the aspects I care about: activism, art, and social and environmental justice. My work is getting more and more activist, since I really struggle to create art projects without an ethical purpose… I don’t want to be an artist just for the sake of it, I want to bring a narrative to people through my artistic practice.
What is the link between arts and science for you? How are they linked in your artistic practice?
During my bachelor’s degree in Textile Design and Custom Making I worked in the Biology lab and studied organisms. My art was inspired by microorganisms, and I wanted to explain with the language of art the beauty that science discovers but can’t convey.
For instance, I observed with the microscope some leaves that have crystals which can be represented by electricity density maps that create patterns. I printed these patterns on textiles and gave them to dancers who then created a choreography inspired by what I told them about these plants. My goal was to create a universe starting from an organism.
The idea behind all of this is that we need to change our relationships with other species; this is at the root of many issues in the climate crisis. I hope someone comes to the dance performance and gets interested in the organisms or questions their relationship with nature.
Can you tell us about your residency in Labverde and how it impacted you as an artist?
Labverde is an immersive experience in the Amazon forest. Me and the other artists followed lectures by scientists of any kind and lived in the forest. They helped us to see the diversity around us, and I was really struck by the fact that all I could see was green. Iit took me 30 minutes to spot a parrot on a tree, because my eyes were not used to seeing so much nature.
In one lecture we were told by historians that the Amazon must not be seen as an untouched place, since humans and animals have been interacting with it and co-created the forest. This information changed something in my mind, it really made me understand how humans are part of nature.
One day we went to the top of a tower and I really froze. I was trying to paint but my eyes could not catch any detail, everything was so immense, so green, it was a lot. Imagining that humans can cancel that was terrifying. I felt insignificant but at the same time I knew what my species can do to nature.
Another day we went to a beach and collected all the trash, I was then told that the sea would bring that amount of waste on the shore everyday. I brought some fishing nets to France -some of the biggest contributors to plastic waste humans produce - and embroidered them with a linen veil. I reproduced the effect of lichens, which in the Amazon are so thick and full of life, I thought there is a beautiful connection between these small organisms and the huge scale of human impact, symbolised by fishnets.
You have another project that involves dance, Dance the Amazon, can you tell us about it?
Similarly to the dance project I mentioned before, I created a fabric with the shape of the Amazon forest and I give it to dancers who create choreographies inspired by it. Any dancer can contact me at dancetheamazon@gmail.com and ask for the fabric. So far, it has been used as a costume, as part of the scenography or as an object for the choreography.
Could you tell us a bit about yourself, your academic and professional background?
I studied science at high school, and then I did an art foundation year; I got a degree in textile design and costume making, but I never wanted to be an artist. During my studies I was also very engaged with social and environmental justice. I worked for Alternative, a French NGO operating on a local level to implement social and climate justice. There, I was in charge of programming, creating conferences, and managing activities, and also organised actions with Youth for Climate to raise awareness about the negative environmental impact of the fashion industry.
I started feeling anxious about my role in this context of climate change and social injustices so, after all of this, I went to Labverde in the Amazon for an art residency. This experience inspired me to merge art and science and is the reason why I have enrolled in the MSc in Art and Science at Central Saint Martins.
So, do you do advocacy through your art? What goals are you trying to achieve with your artistic practice?
One of the reasons I am studying Art and Science is because I want to combine all the aspects I care about: activism, art, and social and environmental justice. My work is getting more and more activist, since I really struggle to create art projects without an ethical purpose… I don’t want to be an artist just for the sake of it, I want to bring a narrative to people through my artistic practice.
What is the link between arts and science for you? How are they linked in your artistic practice?
During my bachelor’s degree in Textile Design and Custom Making I worked in the Biology lab and studied organisms. My art was inspired by microorganisms, and I wanted to explain with the language of art the beauty that science discovers but can’t convey.
For instance, I observed with the microscope some leaves that have crystals which can be represented by electricity density maps that create patterns. I printed these patterns on textiles and gave them to dancers who then created a choreography inspired by what I told them about these plants. My goal was to create a universe starting from an organism.
The idea behind all of this is that we need to change our relationships with other species; this is at the root of many issues in the climate crisis. I hope someone comes to the dance performance and gets interested in the organisms or questions their relationship with nature.
Can you tell us about your residency in Labverde and how it impacted you as an artist?
Labverde is an immersive experience in the Amazon forest. Me and the other artists followed lectures by scientists of any kind and lived in the forest. They helped us to see the diversity around us, and I was really struck by the fact that all I could see was green. Iit took me 30 minutes to spot a parrot on a tree, because my eyes were not used to seeing so much nature.
In one lecture we were told by historians that the Amazon must not be seen as an untouched place, since humans and animals have been interacting with it and co-created the forest. This information changed something in my mind, it really made me understand how humans are part of nature.
One day we went to the top of a tower and I really froze. I was trying to paint but my eyes could not catch any detail, everything was so immense, so green, it was a lot. Imagining that humans can cancel that was terrifying. I felt insignificant but at the same time I knew what my species can do to nature.
Another day we went to a beach and collected all the trash, I was then told that the sea would bring that amount of waste on the shore everyday. I brought some fishing nets to France -some of the biggest contributors to plastic waste humans produce - and embroidered them with a linen veil. I reproduced the effect of lichens, which in the Amazon are so thick and full of life, I thought there is a beautiful connection between these small organisms and the huge scale of human impact, symbolised by fishnets.
You have another project that involves dance, Dance the Amazon, can you tell us about it?
Similarly to the dance project I mentioned before, I created a fabric with the shape of the Amazon forest and I give it to dancers who create choreographies inspired by it. Any dancer can contact me at dancetheamazon@gmail.com and ask for the fabric. So far, it has been used as a costume, as part of the scenography or as an object for the choreography.
Could you tell us a bit about yourself, your academic and professional background?
I studied science at high school, and then I did an art foundation year; I got a degree in textile design and costume making, but I never wanted to be an artist. During my studies I was also very engaged with social and environmental justice. I worked for Alternative, a French NGO operating on a local level to implement social and climate justice. There, I was in charge of programming, creating conferences, and managing activities, and also organised actions with Youth for Climate to raise awareness about the negative environmental impact of the fashion industry.
I started feeling anxious about my role in this context of climate change and social injustices so, after all of this, I went to Labverde in the Amazon for an art residency. This experience inspired me to merge art and science and is the reason why I have enrolled in the MSc in Art and Science at Central Saint Martins.
So, do you do advocacy through your art? What goals are you trying to achieve with your artistic practice?
One of the reasons I am studying Art and Science is because I want to combine all the aspects I care about: activism, art, and social and environmental justice. My work is getting more and more activist, since I really struggle to create art projects without an ethical purpose… I don’t want to be an artist just for the sake of it, I want to bring a narrative to people through my artistic practice.
What is the link between arts and science for you? How are they linked in your artistic practice?
During my bachelor’s degree in Textile Design and Custom Making I worked in the Biology lab and studied organisms. My art was inspired by microorganisms, and I wanted to explain with the language of art the beauty that science discovers but can’t convey.
For instance, I observed with the microscope some leaves that have crystals which can be represented by electricity density maps that create patterns. I printed these patterns on textiles and gave them to dancers who then created a choreography inspired by what I told them about these plants. My goal was to create a universe starting from an organism.
The idea behind all of this is that we need to change our relationships with other species; this is at the root of many issues in the climate crisis. I hope someone comes to the dance performance and gets interested in the organisms or questions their relationship with nature.
Can you tell us about your residency in Labverde and how it impacted you as an artist?
Labverde is an immersive experience in the Amazon forest. Me and the other artists followed lectures by scientists of any kind and lived in the forest. They helped us to see the diversity around us, and I was really struck by the fact that all I could see was green. Iit took me 30 minutes to spot a parrot on a tree, because my eyes were not used to seeing so much nature.
In one lecture we were told by historians that the Amazon must not be seen as an untouched place, since humans and animals have been interacting with it and co-created the forest. This information changed something in my mind, it really made me understand how humans are part of nature.
One day we went to the top of a tower and I really froze. I was trying to paint but my eyes could not catch any detail, everything was so immense, so green, it was a lot. Imagining that humans can cancel that was terrifying. I felt insignificant but at the same time I knew what my species can do to nature.
Another day we went to a beach and collected all the trash, I was then told that the sea would bring that amount of waste on the shore everyday. I brought some fishing nets to France -some of the biggest contributors to plastic waste humans produce - and embroidered them with a linen veil. I reproduced the effect of lichens, which in the Amazon are so thick and full of life, I thought there is a beautiful connection between these small organisms and the huge scale of human impact, symbolised by fishnets.
You have another project that involves dance, Dance the Amazon, can you tell us about it?
Similarly to the dance project I mentioned before, I created a fabric with the shape of the Amazon forest and I give it to dancers who create choreographies inspired by it. Any dancer can contact me at dancetheamazon@gmail.com and ask for the fabric. So far, it has been used as a costume, as part of the scenography or as an object for the choreography.
Could you tell us a bit about yourself, your academic and professional background?
I studied science at high school, and then I did an art foundation year; I got a degree in textile design and costume making, but I never wanted to be an artist. During my studies I was also very engaged with social and environmental justice. I worked for Alternative, a French NGO operating on a local level to implement social and climate justice. There, I was in charge of programming, creating conferences, and managing activities, and also organised actions with Youth for Climate to raise awareness about the negative environmental impact of the fashion industry.
I started feeling anxious about my role in this context of climate change and social injustices so, after all of this, I went to Labverde in the Amazon for an art residency. This experience inspired me to merge art and science and is the reason why I have enrolled in the MSc in Art and Science at Central Saint Martins.
So, do you do advocacy through your art? What goals are you trying to achieve with your artistic practice?
One of the reasons I am studying Art and Science is because I want to combine all the aspects I care about: activism, art, and social and environmental justice. My work is getting more and more activist, since I really struggle to create art projects without an ethical purpose… I don’t want to be an artist just for the sake of it, I want to bring a narrative to people through my artistic practice.
What is the link between arts and science for you? How are they linked in your artistic practice?
During my bachelor’s degree in Textile Design and Custom Making I worked in the Biology lab and studied organisms. My art was inspired by microorganisms, and I wanted to explain with the language of art the beauty that science discovers but can’t convey.
For instance, I observed with the microscope some leaves that have crystals which can be represented by electricity density maps that create patterns. I printed these patterns on textiles and gave them to dancers who then created a choreography inspired by what I told them about these plants. My goal was to create a universe starting from an organism.
The idea behind all of this is that we need to change our relationships with other species; this is at the root of many issues in the climate crisis. I hope someone comes to the dance performance and gets interested in the organisms or questions their relationship with nature.
Can you tell us about your residency in Labverde and how it impacted you as an artist?
Labverde is an immersive experience in the Amazon forest. Me and the other artists followed lectures by scientists of any kind and lived in the forest. They helped us to see the diversity around us, and I was really struck by the fact that all I could see was green. Iit took me 30 minutes to spot a parrot on a tree, because my eyes were not used to seeing so much nature.
In one lecture we were told by historians that the Amazon must not be seen as an untouched place, since humans and animals have been interacting with it and co-created the forest. This information changed something in my mind, it really made me understand how humans are part of nature.
One day we went to the top of a tower and I really froze. I was trying to paint but my eyes could not catch any detail, everything was so immense, so green, it was a lot. Imagining that humans can cancel that was terrifying. I felt insignificant but at the same time I knew what my species can do to nature.
Another day we went to a beach and collected all the trash, I was then told that the sea would bring that amount of waste on the shore everyday. I brought some fishing nets to France -some of the biggest contributors to plastic waste humans produce - and embroidered them with a linen veil. I reproduced the effect of lichens, which in the Amazon are so thick and full of life, I thought there is a beautiful connection between these small organisms and the huge scale of human impact, symbolised by fishnets.
You have another project that involves dance, Dance the Amazon, can you tell us about it?
Similarly to the dance project I mentioned before, I created a fabric with the shape of the Amazon forest and I give it to dancers who create choreographies inspired by it. Any dancer can contact me at dancetheamazon@gmail.com and ask for the fabric. So far, it has been used as a costume, as part of the scenography or as an object for the choreography.
Could you tell us a bit about yourself, your academic and professional background?
I studied science at high school, and then I did an art foundation year; I got a degree in textile design and costume making, but I never wanted to be an artist. During my studies I was also very engaged with social and environmental justice. I worked for Alternative, a French NGO operating on a local level to implement social and climate justice. There, I was in charge of programming, creating conferences, and managing activities, and also organised actions with Youth for Climate to raise awareness about the negative environmental impact of the fashion industry.
I started feeling anxious about my role in this context of climate change and social injustices so, after all of this, I went to Labverde in the Amazon for an art residency. This experience inspired me to merge art and science and is the reason why I have enrolled in the MSc in Art and Science at Central Saint Martins.
So, do you do advocacy through your art? What goals are you trying to achieve with your artistic practice?
One of the reasons I am studying Art and Science is because I want to combine all the aspects I care about: activism, art, and social and environmental justice. My work is getting more and more activist, since I really struggle to create art projects without an ethical purpose… I don’t want to be an artist just for the sake of it, I want to bring a narrative to people through my artistic practice.
What is the link between arts and science for you? How are they linked in your artistic practice?
During my bachelor’s degree in Textile Design and Custom Making I worked in the Biology lab and studied organisms. My art was inspired by microorganisms, and I wanted to explain with the language of art the beauty that science discovers but can’t convey.
For instance, I observed with the microscope some leaves that have crystals which can be represented by electricity density maps that create patterns. I printed these patterns on textiles and gave them to dancers who then created a choreography inspired by what I told them about these plants. My goal was to create a universe starting from an organism.
The idea behind all of this is that we need to change our relationships with other species; this is at the root of many issues in the climate crisis. I hope someone comes to the dance performance and gets interested in the organisms or questions their relationship with nature.
Can you tell us about your residency in Labverde and how it impacted you as an artist?
Labverde is an immersive experience in the Amazon forest. Me and the other artists followed lectures by scientists of any kind and lived in the forest. They helped us to see the diversity around us, and I was really struck by the fact that all I could see was green. Iit took me 30 minutes to spot a parrot on a tree, because my eyes were not used to seeing so much nature.
In one lecture we were told by historians that the Amazon must not be seen as an untouched place, since humans and animals have been interacting with it and co-created the forest. This information changed something in my mind, it really made me understand how humans are part of nature.
One day we went to the top of a tower and I really froze. I was trying to paint but my eyes could not catch any detail, everything was so immense, so green, it was a lot. Imagining that humans can cancel that was terrifying. I felt insignificant but at the same time I knew what my species can do to nature.
Another day we went to a beach and collected all the trash, I was then told that the sea would bring that amount of waste on the shore everyday. I brought some fishing nets to France -some of the biggest contributors to plastic waste humans produce - and embroidered them with a linen veil. I reproduced the effect of lichens, which in the Amazon are so thick and full of life, I thought there is a beautiful connection between these small organisms and the huge scale of human impact, symbolised by fishnets.
You have another project that involves dance, Dance the Amazon, can you tell us about it?
Similarly to the dance project I mentioned before, I created a fabric with the shape of the Amazon forest and I give it to dancers who create choreographies inspired by it. Any dancer can contact me at dancetheamazon@gmail.com and ask for the fabric. So far, it has been used as a costume, as part of the scenography or as an object for the choreography.
Could you tell us a bit about yourself, your academic and professional background?
I studied science at high school, and then I did an art foundation year; I got a degree in textile design and costume making, but I never wanted to be an artist. During my studies I was also very engaged with social and environmental justice. I worked for Alternative, a French NGO operating on a local level to implement social and climate justice. There, I was in charge of programming, creating conferences, and managing activities, and also organised actions with Youth for Climate to raise awareness about the negative environmental impact of the fashion industry.
I started feeling anxious about my role in this context of climate change and social injustices so, after all of this, I went to Labverde in the Amazon for an art residency. This experience inspired me to merge art and science and is the reason why I have enrolled in the MSc in Art and Science at Central Saint Martins.
So, do you do advocacy through your art? What goals are you trying to achieve with your artistic practice?
One of the reasons I am studying Art and Science is because I want to combine all the aspects I care about: activism, art, and social and environmental justice. My work is getting more and more activist, since I really struggle to create art projects without an ethical purpose… I don’t want to be an artist just for the sake of it, I want to bring a narrative to people through my artistic practice.
What is the link between arts and science for you? How are they linked in your artistic practice?
During my bachelor’s degree in Textile Design and Custom Making I worked in the Biology lab and studied organisms. My art was inspired by microorganisms, and I wanted to explain with the language of art the beauty that science discovers but can’t convey.
For instance, I observed with the microscope some leaves that have crystals which can be represented by electricity density maps that create patterns. I printed these patterns on textiles and gave them to dancers who then created a choreography inspired by what I told them about these plants. My goal was to create a universe starting from an organism.
The idea behind all of this is that we need to change our relationships with other species; this is at the root of many issues in the climate crisis. I hope someone comes to the dance performance and gets interested in the organisms or questions their relationship with nature.
Can you tell us about your residency in Labverde and how it impacted you as an artist?
Labverde is an immersive experience in the Amazon forest. Me and the other artists followed lectures by scientists of any kind and lived in the forest. They helped us to see the diversity around us, and I was really struck by the fact that all I could see was green. Iit took me 30 minutes to spot a parrot on a tree, because my eyes were not used to seeing so much nature.
In one lecture we were told by historians that the Amazon must not be seen as an untouched place, since humans and animals have been interacting with it and co-created the forest. This information changed something in my mind, it really made me understand how humans are part of nature.
One day we went to the top of a tower and I really froze. I was trying to paint but my eyes could not catch any detail, everything was so immense, so green, it was a lot. Imagining that humans can cancel that was terrifying. I felt insignificant but at the same time I knew what my species can do to nature.
Another day we went to a beach and collected all the trash, I was then told that the sea would bring that amount of waste on the shore everyday. I brought some fishing nets to France -some of the biggest contributors to plastic waste humans produce - and embroidered them with a linen veil. I reproduced the effect of lichens, which in the Amazon are so thick and full of life, I thought there is a beautiful connection between these small organisms and the huge scale of human impact, symbolised by fishnets.
You have another project that involves dance, Dance the Amazon, can you tell us about it?
Similarly to the dance project I mentioned before, I created a fabric with the shape of the Amazon forest and I give it to dancers who create choreographies inspired by it. Any dancer can contact me at dancetheamazon@gmail.com and ask for the fabric. So far, it has been used as a costume, as part of the scenography or as an object for the choreography.
Could you tell us a bit about yourself, your academic and professional background?
I studied science at high school, and then I did an art foundation year; I got a degree in textile design and costume making, but I never wanted to be an artist. During my studies I was also very engaged with social and environmental justice. I worked for Alternative, a French NGO operating on a local level to implement social and climate justice. There, I was in charge of programming, creating conferences, and managing activities, and also organised actions with Youth for Climate to raise awareness about the negative environmental impact of the fashion industry.
I started feeling anxious about my role in this context of climate change and social injustices so, after all of this, I went to Labverde in the Amazon for an art residency. This experience inspired me to merge art and science and is the reason why I have enrolled in the MSc in Art and Science at Central Saint Martins.
So, do you do advocacy through your art? What goals are you trying to achieve with your artistic practice?
One of the reasons I am studying Art and Science is because I want to combine all the aspects I care about: activism, art, and social and environmental justice. My work is getting more and more activist, since I really struggle to create art projects without an ethical purpose… I don’t want to be an artist just for the sake of it, I want to bring a narrative to people through my artistic practice.
What is the link between arts and science for you? How are they linked in your artistic practice?
During my bachelor’s degree in Textile Design and Custom Making I worked in the Biology lab and studied organisms. My art was inspired by microorganisms, and I wanted to explain with the language of art the beauty that science discovers but can’t convey.
For instance, I observed with the microscope some leaves that have crystals which can be represented by electricity density maps that create patterns. I printed these patterns on textiles and gave them to dancers who then created a choreography inspired by what I told them about these plants. My goal was to create a universe starting from an organism.
The idea behind all of this is that we need to change our relationships with other species; this is at the root of many issues in the climate crisis. I hope someone comes to the dance performance and gets interested in the organisms or questions their relationship with nature.
Can you tell us about your residency in Labverde and how it impacted you as an artist?
Labverde is an immersive experience in the Amazon forest. Me and the other artists followed lectures by scientists of any kind and lived in the forest. They helped us to see the diversity around us, and I was really struck by the fact that all I could see was green. Iit took me 30 minutes to spot a parrot on a tree, because my eyes were not used to seeing so much nature.
In one lecture we were told by historians that the Amazon must not be seen as an untouched place, since humans and animals have been interacting with it and co-created the forest. This information changed something in my mind, it really made me understand how humans are part of nature.
One day we went to the top of a tower and I really froze. I was trying to paint but my eyes could not catch any detail, everything was so immense, so green, it was a lot. Imagining that humans can cancel that was terrifying. I felt insignificant but at the same time I knew what my species can do to nature.
Another day we went to a beach and collected all the trash, I was then told that the sea would bring that amount of waste on the shore everyday. I brought some fishing nets to France -some of the biggest contributors to plastic waste humans produce - and embroidered them with a linen veil. I reproduced the effect of lichens, which in the Amazon are so thick and full of life, I thought there is a beautiful connection between these small organisms and the huge scale of human impact, symbolised by fishnets.
You have another project that involves dance, Dance the Amazon, can you tell us about it?
Similarly to the dance project I mentioned before, I created a fabric with the shape of the Amazon forest and I give it to dancers who create choreographies inspired by it. Any dancer can contact me at dancetheamazon@gmail.com and ask for the fabric. So far, it has been used as a costume, as part of the scenography or as an object for the choreography.
Could you tell us a bit about yourself, your academic and professional background?
I studied science at high school, and then I did an art foundation year; I got a degree in textile design and costume making, but I never wanted to be an artist. During my studies I was also very engaged with social and environmental justice. I worked for Alternative, a French NGO operating on a local level to implement social and climate justice. There, I was in charge of programming, creating conferences, and managing activities, and also organised actions with Youth for Climate to raise awareness about the negative environmental impact of the fashion industry.
I started feeling anxious about my role in this context of climate change and social injustices so, after all of this, I went to Labverde in the Amazon for an art residency. This experience inspired me to merge art and science and is the reason why I have enrolled in the MSc in Art and Science at Central Saint Martins.
So, do you do advocacy through your art? What goals are you trying to achieve with your artistic practice?
One of the reasons I am studying Art and Science is because I want to combine all the aspects I care about: activism, art, and social and environmental justice. My work is getting more and more activist, since I really struggle to create art projects without an ethical purpose… I don’t want to be an artist just for the sake of it, I want to bring a narrative to people through my artistic practice.
What is the link between arts and science for you? How are they linked in your artistic practice?
During my bachelor’s degree in Textile Design and Custom Making I worked in the Biology lab and studied organisms. My art was inspired by microorganisms, and I wanted to explain with the language of art the beauty that science discovers but can’t convey.
For instance, I observed with the microscope some leaves that have crystals which can be represented by electricity density maps that create patterns. I printed these patterns on textiles and gave them to dancers who then created a choreography inspired by what I told them about these plants. My goal was to create a universe starting from an organism.
The idea behind all of this is that we need to change our relationships with other species; this is at the root of many issues in the climate crisis. I hope someone comes to the dance performance and gets interested in the organisms or questions their relationship with nature.
Can you tell us about your residency in Labverde and how it impacted you as an artist?
Labverde is an immersive experience in the Amazon forest. Me and the other artists followed lectures by scientists of any kind and lived in the forest. They helped us to see the diversity around us, and I was really struck by the fact that all I could see was green. Iit took me 30 minutes to spot a parrot on a tree, because my eyes were not used to seeing so much nature.
In one lecture we were told by historians that the Amazon must not be seen as an untouched place, since humans and animals have been interacting with it and co-created the forest. This information changed something in my mind, it really made me understand how humans are part of nature.
One day we went to the top of a tower and I really froze. I was trying to paint but my eyes could not catch any detail, everything was so immense, so green, it was a lot. Imagining that humans can cancel that was terrifying. I felt insignificant but at the same time I knew what my species can do to nature.
Another day we went to a beach and collected all the trash, I was then told that the sea would bring that amount of waste on the shore everyday. I brought some fishing nets to France -some of the biggest contributors to plastic waste humans produce - and embroidered them with a linen veil. I reproduced the effect of lichens, which in the Amazon are so thick and full of life, I thought there is a beautiful connection between these small organisms and the huge scale of human impact, symbolised by fishnets.
You have another project that involves dance, Dance the Amazon, can you tell us about it?
Similarly to the dance project I mentioned before, I created a fabric with the shape of the Amazon forest and I give it to dancers who create choreographies inspired by it. Any dancer can contact me at dancetheamazon@gmail.com and ask for the fabric. So far, it has been used as a costume, as part of the scenography or as an object for the choreography.
