Exhibition Launch Day!

Launch Day: Life Finds a Way

The morning of the exhibition launch began early. I arrived at the space well before opening to check that everything was still in place - some items, like the lamps and wall labels, had only been taped up the day before. Thankfully, almost nothing important had shifted overnight. My final touches involved tuning all the spotlights to the same warmth, cleaning the glass on the frames to remove fingerprints, and dimming the overhead lights to complement the pieces without overwhelming them.

A single small prop on the tech wall had fallen overnight, but I managed to fix it using my emergency kit, reapplying a bit of rust and moss before sealing it again. After that, the space looked great: large-format photographs hung at eye level with their lights carefully positioned to illuminate them evenly, props arranged on individual pedestals, and the tech wall fully restored and ready to explore.

The doors officially opened at 14:00. During my brief opening speech, I thanked my friends and family for their support and shared a few words about the project’s intentions: how much work went into crafting it, how I hoped it might encourage people to reflect on their own consumer habits, and how it speaks to a future where nature quietly reclaims what we leave behind. A short applause followed, and then I opened the door into the exhibition room.

I hadn’t directly invited a large audience beyond friends and family, had only advertised a little in local creative spaces and a bit on social media, so I expected a quiet flow - but to my surprise, more guests arrived as the afternoon progressed. I didn’t document much of that later crowd since I focused on answering questions and being present in the space. Still, I have several images from those early moments showing people exploring the work.

What followed was a steady stream of questions and conversation - from the conceptual to the technical. People asked about my intentions, my sculpting process, how I created the props, how I taught myself various techniques, and whether I plan to expand the series. One memorable visitor, who works at a local museum, even told me they’d love to see the work exhibited there in the future. The mood in the room was calm and reflective, lit with warm ambient lighting. Once viewers moved in close enough to certain props, they could discover the subtle soundscape - buzzing bees, frogs croaking - which created a gentle layer of atmosphere without overwhelming the space. Conversation was soft, curious, and kind.

It was also fascinating to observe how people moved through the space. Some navigated clockwise or counterclockwise, others made a beeline for the tech wall before exploring the photographs. Many came in close to inspect the fine textures or to take photos with their phones. The tech wall and the image of the overgrown Polaroid camera (paired with its corresponding prop) drew the most attention. The bee radio was also a favorite - I even caught people leaning down to look at it up close, which I managed to photograph. These interactions, and the questions that followed, sparked lots of rewarding conversation - about the materials I used, my lighting decisions, printing techniques, and more.

There was no formal catering - just some champagne, which most guests enjoyed while moving through the space. I kept a stock of brochures on a small shelf near the entrance and made sure to refill it whenever it ran low. The soundscape remained subtle, only audible when close to the props, and the lighting stayed balanced enough to never distract from the work. All in all, the atmosphere was warm, engaged, and inquisitive - exactly what I had hoped for.

The Relationship Between Work and Display

The installation of Life Finds a Way was not just about presenting artwork - it was about crafting a space that mirrored the themes of the project. The tension between nature and technology, between decay and renewal, didn’t end with the photographs or props. It extended into the design of the space itself.

My artist statement defines the heart of the project:

In an age defined by relentless technological innovation and the rapid consumption of goods, Life Finds a Way examines the quiet reclamation of human detritus by nature. [...] At its core, Life Finds a Way visualizes the tension between humanity’s pursuit of progress and the organic world’s quiet resistance. [...] It critiques the cyclical nature of consumerism, [...] while celebrating nature’s enduring ability to adapt, survive, and reclaim.

This dialogue between human-made and natural elements shaped the physical display. The photographs were hung at eye level with intentional lighting that emphasized textures - rust, moss, corrosion - while keeping the space contemplative. The props, placed to match their photographs, were displayed openly on raw pedestals, exposed rather than protected, allowing viewers to engage with them directly. The tech wall, embedded with subtle sounds, anchored the room and encouraged deeper interaction.

Inspired by Timothy Morton’s “dark ecology,” (Morton, 2012) the space encouraged close looking. The soundscape mimicked the kind of “slow violence” Rob Nixon describes (Nixon, 2013) - hidden, subtle, but ever-present. Naomi Klein’s critique of capitalism (Klein, 2015) echoed through the reused materials and the attention drawn to their physical decay. Like Mandy Barker’s work on environmental degradation (Barker, 2019), Life Finds a Way sought to elevate waste into something contemplative, even poetic.

After the Exhibition

The exhibition ran from February 28th to March 13th. The day after closing, I returned to the gallery one final time to take everything down. It was quieter than I expected. The work that had filled the space with sound and texture was now being unmade, piece by piece. I carefully removed the frames from the walls, unscrewed hooks, peeled off labels and lighting elements, and began the process of restoring the room to its original state.

Each hole was filled and painted over. Any glue or tape residue left behind from the spotlights and signage was gently scraped and cleaned. The act of erasing those final marks felt both routine and strange. It was a closing ritual, and with it came a kind of clarity.

I took a few final photos of the now-empty space - the inverse of the launch images, stripped of light and artwork but still holding something quiet in the air. The transformation was complete. What remained was a bare, silent room once again, but one that had briefly held a story - and, hopefully, left something behind in those who walked through it.

In the end, Life Finds a Way is as much about what is said as what is left unsaid - the silences between the buzzing bees, the spaces between objects, the tension between past usefulness and present obsolescence. The display reinforced this message, inviting viewers not just to observe, but to wonder: What are we leaving behind, and what might the world do with it next?

Next up: Final Reflections and Future Opportunities

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