The monumental Kunstfort “Genieloods” shack, originally intended for cannonry storage, is inhabited by nature. A constellation of tropical fruits, trees, grains, plants and blades colonizes the art space. But whether these plants and fruits are really there remains a question: the artist exposed the fruits on cloths, pressed the grains into plaster and transferred the grass to paper. No manipulation was involved. Amidst the highly artificial “polder” landscape the clear blue cyanotypes and mesmerizing lines represent nature as it is perfect in itself.

This Spring the Kunstfort welcomes the heaviest tree in the world: the Sequoiadendron giganteum. This Californian mammoth tree was brought to Europe in the 19th century, the same century in which Fort bij Vijfhuizen was built as part of an iconic defense plan, and also the century in which photography was invented. Eva-Fiore Kovacovsky (Switzerland, 1980) takes this as her starting point for the exhibition Sequoia Grove.

Solo exhibition in the Genieloods at Kunstfort Vijfhuizen curated by Zippora Elders

Sequoiatypien, 2016 / 2017, photograms of cones, branches, seeds and needles of a Sequoiadendron giganteum, cyanotype on cotton

Jackotype, 2017, photograms of fruit, branches, seeds and leaves of the jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus), cyanotype on cotton and viscose

Sand Drawings, 2012 / 2017, HD Video without sound 56:45 min

Abdrücke, 2017, Plaster print of Petasites hybridus (butterbur) leaves, each ca 30 x 20 x 20 cm