Landscapes Grow Under Your Table

Join us at Delfina Foundation for an evening viewing of work developed by Daniel de la Barra during his residency.

In the Delfina Project Space, artist Daniel de la Barra presents a temporary installation of new works which stem from his long-term interest in the ideologies underpinning Romantic landscape painting and their legacies.

This temporary installation manifests as a revision, with satirical overtones, of our consumption of land. From the era of Romanticism to today’s agribusiness, it examines the colonial gaze in its perception and representation of nature.

From an ecological and decolonial perspective, this project reflects on the ways in which botanical representations from colonial expeditions and romantic painting are a foundation of the current systems that exploit the earth.

At the centre of the installation is a tablecloth. The oil painting reproduced on its surface employs the style and motifs synonymous with landscape paintings of the Romantic period, yet it incorporates references to the exploitative agro-industrial systems of today: the ‘landscapes under your table’.

Produced in London, these new works reference, and enter into dialogue with, the city – a place enmeshed in the original production, circulation and presentation of Romantic landscape painting. Focusing our attention on the present day, several works in the installation consider ‘new landscapes’ – the city’s gigantic underground hydroponic farms growing under a ‘sun’ of LED lights, which Daniel visited during his residency.

Join us for an informal evening, in which visitors can view these new works and hear from the artist.

Please note this temporary installation will remain in place for a few days following the public viewing. If you are unable to attend event on Thursday evening, but still wish to see the works, you can do so by appointment between 11am and 5pm on Friday 24, Monday 27 and Tuesday 28 March. Please email info@delfinafoundation.com with the subject line ‘Installation viewing’ together with the time you wish to visit.

An evening view of newly developed work by resident Daniel de la Barra

Daniel’s residency is supported by Artus Peru.