Morton’s next big exhibition: Artist will create ‘Of the Earth’ from what nature leaves behind

Morton Arboretum on Thursday announced that its next sculpture exhibition, “Of the Earth,” will open in the spring.

The latest in an ongoing series of large-scale installations, “Of the Earth” will feature works by Polish American sculptor and public artist Olga Ziemska, whose last name translates as “of the earth.”

The first female artist to be showcased in this way at the Lisle arboretum, Ziemska will create sculptures using branches, tree trunks and other forest debris found at Morton.

In fact, more than 90% of the materials used in the construction of the one-of-a-kind exhibition will come from the arboretum, said Preston Bautista, vice president of learning and engagement.

Fabrication will begin in March, after the current exhibit, “Human+Nature” by South African artist Daniel Popper, closes. “Of the Earth” will open May 26 and run through the spring of 2025, Bautista said.

Exhibiting at Morton poses challenges for artists, Bautista said. Because “Of the Earth” will run two years, the sculptures must be durable to withstand the elements. They also must be “monumental so they have a presence throughout the arboretum,” he said.

Bautista was introduced to Ziemska’s work online and through the Franklin Park Conservatory in Columbus Ohio, where “SPOKE: The Visual Poetry & Environmental Art of Artist Olga Ziemska” runs through May 30.

“We saw the material that she was using,” he said. “Tree parts and branches were her mode of expression.”

Bautista described Ziemska’s work as “almost autobiographical,” reflecting her interest in science and the natural world, and her experience as an immigrant.

The upcoming exhibition also will align with the arboretum’s mission of motivating people to explore nature.

In a prepared statement, Ziemska said she wants her work to remind people that “everything in life is derived from the same basic elements that form everything in nature, including ourselves. There is no separation.”

Bautista said exhibitions like Ziemska’s expand visitors’ understanding of art and of the arboretum itself, because it allows them an opportunity to become more familiar with Morton’s expansive collection.

“People will come because there’s something new to add to their experience,” he said. “We want an exhibition to be able to do that.”

https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20221215/mortons-next-big-exhibition-artist-will-create-of-the-earth-from-what-nature-leaves-behind