Premjish Achari in conversation with Ravi Agarwal | Gallery Espace

“The colonisation of nature is not just the history of colonisation… it exists in pre-colonial society, as well. I’ve seen it across landscapes across the world. Nature has been colonised and continues to be colonised. And my fear is that we will not be able to solve the ecological crisis unless we unpack this.”

~ Ravi Agarwal

Last weekend at Gallery Espace, artist Ravi Agarwal joined curator and art writer Premjish Achari for an in-depth conversation on the ideas shaping his ongoing solo exhibition, Historia Denaturalis.

The wide-ranging discussion explored the exhibition’s title, a conceptual play on Naturalis Historia by Pliny the Elder, and Agarwal’s long-standing interest in how natural history museums have historically constructed our understanding of ‘nature.’

Reflecting on his research-driven practice, Ravi also spoke about global water systems, referencing his 2006 photo-performance work ‘Immersion.Emergence,’ alongside the cultural histories of glaciers and the complex intersections of genetics, geology and politics that shape the evolution of the Ganges and Indus river dolphin species. The conversation further touched upon the colonial histories of plants such as cocoa extracted in the 18th century by European imperial powers and transplanted across continents into new ecological and economic contexts.

The lively session drew an engaged audience who questioned Agarwal on the intersections of art, ecology and activism, and how these strands converge within his broader practice.

If you were unable to attend and would like to listen to the talk, drop a comment below or send us a dm and we’d be happy to share the link with you.

Historia Denaturalis remains on view at the gallery until March 10th. We encourage you to visit the exhibition before it closes.