The Morris and Helen Belkin Gallery displays a new project at their venue called “The Willful Plot.” The grand reveal on January 12th showcases the work of several artists like Derya Akay and Vivienne Bessete, Gabi Dao, Derek Jarman, Chairman Johnson, Glenn Lewis, Mike MacDonald, Rehab Nazzal and Dana Qaddah. The Willful Plot is part of the 2023 Capture Photography Festival. The pictures taken by these various artists have different interpretations depending on the person looking at them. This exhibit has a central theme of “The Garden.” The garden is where all these artists have taken the opportunity to express themselves through subliminal messaging in their work.
The relationship between people and nature is portrayed in the garden and it is fascinating to get the chance to experience it first hand by admiring and understanding this project. Seeing the different approaches that these artists have taken can really open up ones mind about their relationship with plants and nature. MacDonald’s view of the vulnerable traditional and cultural practices of medicine of Indigenous peoples is a narrative that he portrays in the garden. The research and time taken to express this narrative does not go unnoticed. Gabi Dao’s perspective of the garden being a site that invokes nostalgia has deeper layers that is expressed through her collage and film. The photography and film by Rehab Nazzal brings light to the wild plants that grow in Palestinian villages and how it connects the people that live there to their land.
Gardens connect people, time, space and cultures in a special way and this exhibit explores these unique connections with a creative lens. Many of the artists from this exhibit provide unique perspective that are interesting and thought provoking. The Willful Plot is an intriguing exhibit to people who are willing to explore their connection to the garden and more.