Quiet waters, torn moss

Exhibition in Jesuit Centre, El-Nahda Association
for Scientific and Cultural Renaissance, Cairo

artists: Jaromír Harna, Pavel Skrott, Jan Kuntoš, Magdalena Dubnová, Petr Košárek
curator: Magdalena Dubnová

The title of the exhibition „quiet waters, torn moss“ contains two meanings. „Quiet waters“ symbolize the spiritual experience of nature as a place of peace and escape from the hustle and bustle of the city. „Plucked moss“ evokes a disturbing tone in these calm waters, it is a trace of man that he leaves in nature, an imprint, both negative and positive, a souvenir when we all want to keep (grab) a piece of nature for ourselves.

The exhibition deals with the way of experiencing nature and its reflection. To stop for a moment, look again at previously known and to let yourself be influenced by something, almost ordinary for Czechs, such as a walk in the forest. The original meaning of the word nature arose from the phrase „that which is natural, growth or to be born“ or also „that which arises without human intervention“. This no longer applies to most forests, nature parks and
reserves. The representation of various types of trees has been replaced by an economically advantageous spruce monoculture, which is poorly protected against natural disasters and prevents water retention in the landscape. The remains of fallen branches and leaves do not rot on the ground to enrich the soil, rather everything is cleaned up, the forest floor is covered with needles and moss. We have our islands of wild nature and we have learned to protect them to some extent – but does nature begin somewhere and end somewhere? Aren‘t we ourselves an essential part of nature? The exhibition does not seek to answer ecological problems, rather it tries to approach simply being in the forest as a natural activity that helps people to remember that they are a living part of nature.