From decomposition to new form: biological inspirations in art.

The contemporary world forces us to rethink the fundamental relationships between humanity, nature, and technology. In the face of escalating ecological crises and a changing perception of matter, art emerges as a powerful tool for exploring these complex ties. The exhibition ‘From decomposition to new form: biological inspirations in art’ offers a profound contemplation of these issues, bringing together two exceptional perspectives on organic matter, its cycles, creative potential, and the role of documenting natural and artistic processes. We present 10 series of works from 2017-2025, created by two accomplished contemporary artists – Sylwia Marszałek-Jeneralczyk from Poland and Riina Õun from Estonia – whose practices, though distinct in form and strategy, intertwine around the shared themes of biological essence, transformation, and constant interaction with the environment.

This exhibition serves as a platform for exploring the tension between the impermanence of biological matter in art and its remarkable potential, as well as its interaction with other, seemingly foreign materials such as plastic or metal, which can both replace and complement it. Here, we contemplate the process of documentation – not merely as a witness to transformations, but as an active artistic tool that immortalises and imbues transient works with meaning. At the same time, the exhibition invites reflection on the perspective from which we perceive and immortalise artworks, and on the complex interactions between biological forms, materials symbolising biological forms, the artists themselves, and their audience. It is a dialogue about art as a living, dynamic element of nature, which continuously evolves.

Sylwia Marszałek-Jeneralczyk, a fine and visual artist, graduate and assistant lecturer at the Faculty of Sculpture at the Jan Matejko Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow, creates profoundly intellectual spatial objects. Her works, combining traditional sculptural forms with new media and technology, delve into the complex relationships between humanity and nature. The artist confronts the mutual inclinations of nature and modernity, often presented in opposition, by addressing cultural, ritualistic, and ethnographic traditions. In her ‘re:plon’ series, we observe the documented process of fruit and vegetable decomposition, simultaneously augmented with plastic structures that form a new, hybrid species of ‘neo-fruits’ – digital-chemical prostheses. This offers a bitter reflection on human intervention and the absurd surrogates in a world where nature’s gifts are transformed into glitz and oblivion.

The ‘Kosa’ installation refers to the Old Polish word for ‘braid’, a symbol of maidenhood and virginity in Slavic cultures. The juxtaposition of a cut straw braid with a wooden ‘ostrewka’ – a structure for drying hay – symbolises the end of a certain period, the loss of intimacy and mystery, becoming a metaphor for the Highlander heritage which, although not fading into oblivion, is often exposed to the whims of tourists as an exhibit. Works from the ‘Kora Bark’ series examine bark as a barrier, filter, and memory medium, accumulating traces of time’s passage and transformations. The culmination of Sylwia’s intellectual explorations is ‘Mycelium’ – a metal sculpture referencing a felled tree trunk. Its structure mimics an organic-technological network, where metal elements transition into cables, symbolising hidden communication systems and the tension between nature and technology. The work speaks of memory, flow, and traces that do not disappear, emphasising that even what is inert can initiate movement and have a considerable impact.

Riina Õun, a multidisciplinary artist, designer, and materials researcher, contributes a perspective focused on the ephemeral nature of biodegradable substances, art for ‘non-humans’, and engaging local communities. Her works within ‘Conceptual Sustainable Fashion’, such as the footwear collections ‘Walking on Eggshells’ and bags from the ‘Flores’ and ‘Crafting organic waste for fashion’ series, are created from innovative organic materials that are designed to biodegrade. These bags, both functional and aesthetic, dissolve when submerged in water and decompose when left in a humid environment, embodying the idea of fashion with a variable life cycle and questioning its permanence.

In the ‘Art for Non-Humans’ series Riina Õun, in collaboration with participants from international workshops held since 2023 across Mexico, the UK, Greece, and Estonia, creates objects intended for consumption by animals. These aesthetic installations, deliberately placed in areas accessible to fauna, transform under the influence of interaction with the non-human audience, eventually disappearing entirely. ‘Guardians of the Garden’ – sculptures of garden gnomes made from biodegradable materials – decompose in the garden, fertilising the soil, and their process of disappearance is meticulously documented, highlighting the life cycle and return to nature. The ‘Cornuskopia’ project is a land art installation created in collaboration with the local community, which also aims to provide shelter and sustenance for animals, changing with the seasons and becoming an integral part of the living landscape. Riina’s works are a manifesto of design as care, forming part of a living cycle rather than a static endpoint.

Despite differences in approach – from Sylwia Marszałek-Jeneralczyk’s academic analysis and critique to Riina Õun’s pragmatic, eco-friendly, and interactive creations – both artists collectively present art as a medium capable of initiating change and reflection on our role in the ecosystem. Their work celebrates decomposition as an integral part of the creative process, invites dialogue with nature at micro and macro levels, and challenges established concepts of permanence, beauty, and artistic value.

This exhibition is an invitation to profound reflection on our relationship with matter, the cycles of life and death, and a future where art and nature can coexist in symbiosis. We encourage you to immerse yourselves in these diverse perspectives and experiences, which provoke a new way of looking at the world around us and our place within it.