Currently, Waddington Custot in Dubai is hosting Photosynthetic Forms, a solo exhibition by renowned British artist Marc Quinn that delves into humanity’s relationship with nature. By experimenting with scale and materiality, Quinn highlights the delicate interplay between humans and the natural world, emphasising how human intervention, whether through gardening, agriculture, or other practices, shapes nature for utility or pleasure. The show will be open to the public until the 1st of January, 2025.
Among the exhibits is Held by Desire (Cloud Garden), a bronze bonsai tree symbolising humanity’s influence on natural forms. Other works, such as the mirrored stainless-steel sculptures Light into Life (The Morphology of Forms) and Light into Life (The Release of Oxygen), depict magnified orchids. Alongside the palm-leaf-inspired Singularity (Sabal), these pieces reflect the viewer and their surroundings, drawing the viewer’s attention to the present moment. The NATURE NOW series examines how technology alters our perception of the environment, bridging the gap between the digital and the natural world by layering fractured glass over images of nature.
Quinn’s latest collection, Our Botanic Selves (2024), is a series of wall-mounted sculptures crafted from polished stainless steel and inspired by five medicinal plants. This series emerged from Quinn’s visit to the Kew Herbarium at the Royal Botanic Gardens in London (UK). When placed in natural settings, these sculptures blend into their environment, highlighting the relationship between the artwork and its surroundings rather than the object itself. Through this series, Quinn underscores humanity’s dependency on nature, celebrating the profound yet often unnoticed connections we share with plant life.
About the artist
Marc Quinn (b. 1964, London, UK) began his artistic journey in 1983, working for British sculptor Barry Flanagan. He later earned a degree in History and History of Art from the University of Cambridge (UK).
Quinn’s practice, which encompasses sculpture, painting, and drawing, addresses themes such as the interplay of art and science, the human body and perceptions of beauty, and the tension between the natural and the cultural. His art explores cycles of growth, evolution, and contemporary issues like genetics, identity, and life and death. Central to his practice is the materiality of his works, often combining traditional and unconventional materials to provoke thought and dialogue.
Quinn has exhibited extensively in shows worldwide, including Under the Skin (solo) (the Central Academy of Fine Arts, Beijing, China, 2019); Like Life: Sculpture, Color, and the Body (1300-Now) (Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA, 2018); History Painting (solo) (BOX, Berlin, Germany, 2015); Nothing But Sculpture – 8th International Sculpture Biennale (Carrara, Italy, 2008); and Emotional Detox – The Seven Deadly Sins – Art Now (solo) (Tate Gallery, London, 1995), among others.
Quinn’s artworks are part of prestigious public collections, such as Tate and National Portrait Gallery (London), Musée National d’Art Moderne (Paris, France), Stedelijk Museum (Amsterdam, the Netherlands), and Museum of Modern Art (New York), to name a few.
To get more information about Photosynthetic Forms, please visit the show’s official web page.
In addition, you might be interested in viewing Way of the Forest, a group exhibition at 421 Arts Campus, and Native: Plants in the UAE.
