A Love Letter to Nature: FLAT // LAND & PhotoVogue 2024 Global Open Call
May 18, 2024
It has been a year since FLAT // LAND announced its change of direction. Under the artistic direction of Fiona van Schendel, FLAT // LAND went from being an international high-profile art gallery to becoming a reference project space focussed on ethology (the study of animal behaviour) and art.
Since then, it is refreshing to see other international companies taking a similar footstep, and raising awareness – through art – to the many entanglements between species and their natural habitat, and our impact on them.
In this light, FLAT // LAND proudly shares the news that, this year, PhotoVogue’s Global Open Call addresses a topic dear to our artists and partners: our relationship with other species of animals and nature. Titled “Tree of Life: A Love letter to Nature”, the project promises to be “an ode to the awe-inspiring beauty of our natural world and the myriad creatures that populate it.”
Aligned with FLAT // LAND’s mission of going beyond a mere portrayal of natural beauty, PhotoVogue aims to foster a message of compassion, respect, and admiration for nature and all animals – including traditionally overlooked species.
Needless to say, FLAT // LAND is aware of the enormous negative impact that fashion has on the ecological environment. Fashion is responsible for major environmental hazards worldwide, including 20% of the world’s wastewater and around 10% of the annual microplastic pollution discarded into the ocean.
Yet, FLAT // LAND supports the contribution of an icon such as Vogue in changing the mentality of both fashion industry players and consumers, urging us to stop turning a blind eye to the negative impact of our needs at the expense of much animal suffering. To change our mentality and reconnect with nature, we can, fortunately, turn to ART: to try to “see” the world with different eyes.
Katharine Cooper, whose photographic works such as “Hussein with his Birdcage at Kastal al-Harami”, show the resilience of humans forced to adapt their daily lives amidst war ruins in Syria. In this photograph, we can witness the strength of the love that humans can have for animals, perhaps especially in the most adverse environments.
We look forward to encountering more love letters to nature, which may continue FLAT // LAND’s aim to soften the distinction between humans and other species, through this open call.
FLAT // LAND highlights the possibility of collaborating with one of the finalists.