Spreading across the glass passageway from the gallery space to the courtyard outside, Anais-karenin’s They have never been plants is an installation of photographs, sound, plants, and scents that appeal to our physical senses. Based on her interests in how colonial history intersects with human management of flora, Anais-kareninhas conducted research on present-day forest vegetation management methods and the relationship premodern people had with plants. (...) They have never been plants is a multifaceted engagement with aspects of plants, which are frequently overlooked as static entities, and a reconsideration of the diverse relationships we have had with flora, but which have disappeared over the course of human settlement and development. Instead of viewing plants simply as useful materials or products for humans, the artist is urging us to regard them as kin who share world with us.
- Curatorial text by Aruma Toyama
Photos: Tomita Ryohei and Kunya Oyamada, Courtesy of Towada Art Center
