As both a visual artist and a forest ecologist in training, Milah van Zuilen (1998, NL) brings art and ecology into close conversation. Fieldwork is central to her practice, with a deep focus on the landscape and the ways humans seek to understand, categorize, and divide the land.
A recurring motif in her work is the square, a shape that reflects this human perspective, often seen in mapping, taxonomy, and monocultural land management. In her recent projects, Van Zuilen rearranges plant material into squares and grids, referencing structured classification systems while allowing organic matter to subtly resist imposed order.
Walking plays a fundamental role in this process. As Milah moves through landscapes, she collects materials, both physical and observational, that shape her compositions. Her natural collages are made from reassembled leaves and other organic material. They trace moments of Van Zuilen's attention along her path, transforming walking into a form of mapping.
This approach resonates with the 19th-century American naturalist and philosopher Henry David Thoreau’s idea of ‘sauntering’ — a way of moving not toward a fixed destination but toward a deeper relationship with the land.
The interplay between structure and spontaneity, grid-like order and organic form, is at the core of Walking. Van Zuilen advocates for the idea that no system — whether artistic, scientific, or territorial — can fully contain the shifting, living complexity of a landscape. Walking invites a closer look, beyond rigid frameworks, toward a more attentive way of seeing the land.
Milah van Zuilen graduated in Fine Arts & Photography from the Willem de Kooning Academy. Her graduation project Terrafuturism won the Ron Mandos Young Blood Award and was acquired by Museum Voorlinden.
Currently, work from Milah van Zuilen is on view at Museum Arnhem — on view until June 2025. Past exhibitions include a.o. the Allard Pierson Museum Amsterdam, Natural History Museum Rotterdam, De Vishal, Nederlands Fotomuseum, ADIUS Center for Contemporary Art and Ecology, Fotofestival Schiedam, Kunstinstituut Melly and A Tale of a Tub. Van Zuilen’s exhibitions abroad include presentations in the UK, Finland, Norway, Turkey and the Czech Republic.
Her work is part of collections at Museum Voorlinden, the Rijkscollectie, LAM Museum, Buitenplaats Kasteel Wijlre, KPMG, Lakeside Collection, Museum Lunteren and a growing number of private collections around the world.