At Art Island 2024, we are looking forward to presenting new work by Milah van Zuilen, artist and forest ecologist in training. Find us on the Forteiland IJmuiden during 17–19 May. The gallery in Amsterdam remains open with the solo exhibition by Mounir Raji.
The work of Milah van Zuilen revolves around the human perspectives on the landscape. In her new series Drift Sands, the artist works with sand and clay, and explores the influence of soil fertility on human perception of a certain landscape. How does this shape our interaction with the landscape?
Historically, soil fertility determined how societies interacted with their environment. In fertile regions, people settled and built, leaned towards intense farming and agriculture. In less fertile areas like shifting sands, the challenging landscape often led to a more dynamic relationship between humans and nature. Traditionally, these areas were seen as barren and inhospitable, leading to neglect or being considered as wilderness.
By combining leaves with sand and clay from different areas, Drift Sands highlights the relationship between soil fertility and human interaction with the landscape, and how this relationship shapes our perception of nature and culture.
By using the square as a central element, Milah van Zuilen reflects on the human tendency to think in rectangles and to categorize and control landscapes — a process that often leads to monocultural land use and loss of biodiversity.