ARCO Madrid 2025

When Nature Becomes Statement

At the center of our presentation at ARCO Madrid is the depiction of nature as an expression of social and economic change: trees as silent witnesses of history, plants and leaves as engraved manifestos of contemporary events, and landscapes as futuristic visions of a possible utopia. We present new works by Johanna Calle, Melanie Siegel, and Juergen Staack, who each offer a unique perspective on nature in their works, encouraging viewers to reflect.

Colombian artist Johanna Calle is known for her research-based practice and expanded approach to drawing. Drawing from her Latin American heritage, Calle explores central themes such as social inequality, violence, the decay of ecological and social structures, and the loss of cultural identity. A striking example of her research-driven approach and use of historical materials—always reinforcing the conceptual message of her art—can be found in her series Enclaves, Conuco, and Perspectivas.

Attracted by the photorealistic precision of Melanie Siegel’s fine painting, the viewer’s gaze immerses into a sea of green and blue hues. Siegel’s paintings explore nature and landscapes as human-constructed living spaces. She reveals the tension between originality and artificiality, between idyll and functional space. With painterly finesse, she brings nature into focus while questioning humanity’s intrusion into it.

Düsseldorf-based photographer Juergen Staack captures the shadows of plants with sunlight in his SOLAR-COPY series. This series was created in the Gobi Desert of Mongolia, where, paradoxically, plants grow even in times of absolute drought. These delicate plants, defying arid conditions, are fixed onto cyanotype paper by sunlight, preserving their fragility.

Additionally, we are presenting works by Hannes Heinrich, Magdalena Jetelová, and Janina Roider.