It is not difficult to imagine a future of intensified conflicts. But is there any chance of a more harmonious future? Sofia Arez shows us that the collaborative creativity of lichens may be the key to embracing the regenerative possibilities of this moment.

The exhibition Symbiosis, by Sofia Arez, consists of a group of works portraying lichens found by the artist in a wide variety of environments: rocks, trees, walls, and cliffs. They are everywhere. While walking to work or exercising near home, there are hidden forests of lichens waiting to be discovered.

We know very little about lichens. They are a symbiotic partnership, a mutualistic alliance, and a boundary organism. Lichen-like creatures were among the first to emerge from the “primordial soup” to colonize the planet. The non-dual mode of being of lichens embodies the idea of the French philosopher Jean-Luc Nancy of “being singular plural.”
The idea of two beings from different biological kingdoms that cannot live without each other, that come together and transform one another in collaboration — two beings that become one and regenerate infinitely — leads us to view these works by Sofia Arez as metaphors and models for the intricacies of relationships between living entities on Earth.

Art is a lens through which we can explore uncertainty and examine both the necessity and the limitations of human agency in an increasingly complex future. The exhibition Symbiosis explores the role of art as a unique form of inquiry into more harmonious futures and shows how art and science can interrelate and complement one another