La Palma Endemic Time 

The destructive and resilient power of nature after a volcanic eruption on La Palma: an act of earth that transcends the domination of man and also of man’s perception of time suggesting our insignificance. 

The black landscape on the island of previous eruptions is proof that earth has a very different time span than we have. Since 1884, our lives have been determined by machines and less so by nature. In the meantime, we have created a society that runs on the concept of instant satisfaction. But when you stay on an island which is formed by volcanoes and where new land is forming in real time, our understanding of daily urgency becomes somewhat null and void.

On the leaves of the flowers lies the ash. The banana plantations of the island have been destroyed. Seeds have started to nest in the solidified and porous lava of thousands of years ago. New endemic plants, clusters of branches with bright flowers are created on these plains. It questions what is permanence, what is life, what is final. 

The earth has its own seasons. In the wake of destruction, it blooms.

Solo exhibition, 17 juni t/m 13 september 2024 Kennedy Van der Laan + Unseen 2022 Gallery Vriend van Bavink