Some years ago, a new bee species was discovered living underground in London. Finally, the last 15 years of research is being presented in a new exhibition, The Colony by ‘Nature The Artist’ in King’s Cross.
Opening this week Wednesday 10th April, The Colony delves into the curious lives of these bees. Initial studies seemed to show their endeavours were nothing out of the ordinary, fulfilling the role nature had assigned to them – but were they in fact engaged in something more intriguing?
In The Colony, Nature The Artist’s first-ever exhibition in the UK, the audience explores a blacked-out room with a lantern, encouraging them to carefully approach beehive structures on display in the darkness. This quiet interaction, in these relatively vulnerable conditions, enables the audience to discover the residue of an unknown species, indicating all may not be as it seems. While the impressive beauty of the structures themselves stand, the stories they tell both alter the perceptions of what the viewer is looking at and emphasises the ephemerality of nature itself.
Bees are the basis of life; we need them to be able to sustain ourselves. Here we discover how these bees are the artists; one of many in the natural world.
Tomás João, Nature The Artist,
The building and developing of colonies are things we have in common with the animal world, but, unlike most species which do their best to evolve to maintain their territories, humanity tends to dominate, destroying their environments and everything in them.
The Colony challenges the perception of the natural and real world, inviting the viewer to be both immersed in the mysterious seeming beauty of nature’s creation while questioning our own impact upon it. We are invited to consider how we assign value to an artform, and how willing we are to re-calibrate our perceptions to protect that in nature which is more precious.
Curator, Polly O’Flynn,
Nature The Artist deliberately positions the viewer as the protagonist of the show and simulates a sense of discovery to prompt a much-needed self-reflection of human behaviour. The Colony reminds those entering the show of the fragility of the real masterpieces already existing in the natural world and calls us to shine a light on how our actions impact them.
Tomás João, Nature The Artist, The Colony, 10th – 21st April, 10C, Gasholders London, King’s Cross
The Colony is part of King’s Cross’ annual art programme which includes both indoor and outdoor art exhibitions and an annual artist in residency. More information on the arts programme here: kingscross.co.uk/art-culture-guide
About the artist
‘Nature The Artist’ aka Tomás João Carreira began his practice as an artist in 2016. Growing up by the sea, elements of the natural world have always been entrenched in his work, but it is more recently that he decided to make nature the protagonist.
As Carreira allowed the position of author to be assumed by natural processes, Nature The Artist was born. Today, his works are characterised by phenomena found in nature, such as meadow formations, fossils, and beehives. Carreira’s intention is to expose the works of art that already exist in nature as the true masterpieces of our world.
While Nature The Artist’s work calls attention to the power of the natural environment, it also serves as a critique of humanity. Often participatory, his work positions the viewer in a role in relation to the pieces. Both the artist and the works employ a suggestive force with the intention to change behaviours – as urgently as the planet needs us to do so today. His first solo exhibition in Lisbon in 2022 welcomed more than 80,000 visitors garnering widespread acclaim and press coverage. At the end of 2023, the artist exhibited his new Beehive Series for 4 weeks, hosted at Tagus Park in Lisbon – a major science and technology park. @naturetheartist
