As more people move to developed cities with ivory towers, a part of us continues to lose touch with nature. Despite many urban regions being designed to accommodate parks and gardens, residents barely get the time or opportunity to venture out into the wild. Since our metropolitan structures are designed to box us in, a new Leica Gallery exhibition allows us to witness nature in its myriad hues and shades. Come and have a look!
All images in this article are screenshots from Galerie Leica Paris‘s website.
Orbis Terrarum is a stirring showcase by visual artist and poet Benjamin Deroche that invites viewers to witness the beauty of the forest. Deroche, a doctor in visual semiology, has a unique transdisciplinary approach to his artwork. Through this perspective, he pushes the boundaries of perception and meaning, urging viewers to think outside the box.
In this showcase, Deroche’s photographs combine image-making with land art to showcase the delicate balance between our and the natural world. The compositions include reflectors, flowers, berries, wood, and leaves drawn from the landscapes he photographed. Thus, Deroche creates “poetic windows” within the landscapes through this approach, where the seen and the unseen become one. This leaves viewers with space to ponder over where imagination starts and reality ends.
According to Leica, Orbis Terrarum means World of Lands in Latin, which also reflects how the artist envisions the globe. While the exhibition nightlights the power of nature, it also hints at a larger narrative in which time and space dissolve and where the landscapes begin to appear suspended between the tangible and the metaphysical. The photographs, which have been created in Brittany, the shores of Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon, the Mediterranean, and the Baltic Sea, appear as mysterious places or a figment of their imagination.
Interestingly, the showcase is also an excellent way for literature and photography to combine to add layers to the ongoing discourse. Inspired by literary figures like Marguerite Duras, Rabindranath Tagore, and Alexandra David-Néel, Deroche believes that each photograph holds a story within it. As a result, in Orbis Terrarum, the landscapes themselves become metaphors, inviting viewers to reflect on their outer and inner journeys.
The photographs, which may appear spiritual to some, are also an excellent way to let the viewer’s consciousness interact with them. Thus, the skin of the physical world peels off, allowing one to forge a deeper connection with the energy of the surroundings. The quietness captured in the picture can help one move away from the city’s cacophony and welcome the symphony of nature.
One can also enjoy the harmony of colors, which are subtle and soothing to one’s eyes and mind. The red is muted but captivating, while the muddy brows and ashy greens offer a different view of often highly saturated images of the wild. The framing of the photographs is straightforward, yet they leave so many questions unanswered for the audience. Perhaps that’s the best way to engage with people moving away from their roots to accept a fast-paced but also unforgiving life. Overall, the exhibition goes beyond mere observation of the forest, offering a journey into the soul of the natural world and a deeper understanding of the stories it holds.
The Orbis Terrarum exhibition will be on display at Galerie Leica Paris until March 22. For more information, visit their website.