LAURISILVA

The rise and fall of a primeval forest

Millions of years ago, the island of Madeira emerged through volcanic processes deep in the Atlantic Ocean. Over time, the volcanic rock eroded into nutrient-rich soils, giving rise to prehistoric laurel forests that evolved into ecosystems brimming with biodiversity. This 'Laurisilva' forest flourished, overgrowing the island for centuries. However, following the discovery of Madeira in 1419, the Laurisilva began to shrink under various human influences. This once-majestic primeval forest continues to dwindle, and its rare, untouched remnants, stand now as a poignant symbol in the global quest between human progress and ecological sustainability.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and your artistic practice?

I am Kenny Ros from Belgium. I am an artistic photographer who mainly works with landscapes, documentaries, and nature. 

Before starting as an artist in 2021, I worked as a commercial photographer in the fields of landscape, architecture and 360° photography.

In your statement, you mentioned in regards to landscape that ‘to approach a unique perspective and a haunting perception, beyond the ordinary representation of reality’. What do you mean by this?

I want to create work and tell a story that is not directly visible to the naked eye. I believe that one of my strengths is my extensive preparation. There, I link different perspectives and stories with each other, creating my speculative narrative. By doing so, the storytelling is often shown in a dark and mysterious vibe. 

It’s my ambition to once photograph trees like the British artist Francis Bacon painted portraits. Not by depicting the external characteristics, but by capturing their inner soul. 

His book was a great inspiration during my residency, and I believe that my ‘triptych of trees’ is a good step forward towards my goal. 

As Francis Bacon once said: “The job of the artist is to always deepen the mystery”.

What motivated you to apply and participate in this online program? What were your initial goals and expectations?

My motivation was to learn more about eco-art because I lacked connection with my initial idea. My project goal was to tell the story of the Laurisilva, but I didn’t research the ecology of the Laurisilva in my preparation.  

The lectures and meetings gave me more knowledge and understanding of how to think and create as an eco-artist. This strengthened the in-depth relationship between the ecological and historical narrative and my actual work. 

Can you tell us more about the project you worked on during the program? What was the theme or focus, and how did you approach the creative process?

During the program, I had a two-week residency in Madeira, to capture the story of the Laurisilva, the ancient rainforest of Madeira.

It was my intention to create a speculative storytelling based on historical facts and my impressions of the contemporary landscape and nature of Madeira. 

The focus of my time on location was to collect ‘the data’ that I needed according to my preparation, but also to listen to the Laurisilva stories that my local assistant and my nature guide told me. Working with locals is so inspiring and leads to unknown tales and new contexts, which makes you grow as an artist.

After the residency, I started the creative process in the studio, where I combined digital editing with handmade editing to create the final artworks.

How was the process of having a residency in Madeira at the same time as this one, interconnecting the two residencies and the project?

Well, that was busy… Normally I live a slow and sedentary life because I'm an artist with a progressive muscle disease (Bethlem myopathy). 

There’s no cure or medication for my disease, but before the start of the residency we experimented with kinesiotape, which gives my weakened muscles support during an ‘activity’ and results in a faster recuperation. Thanks to the kinesiotape, and especially my personal assistant, I temporarily extended my physical limits from standing upright one hour per day to two hours per day.

For me, It was necessary to combine the physical residence and the online residence, which gave me the feeling that I was deeply focused on the eco-art and I could make adjustments in thinking and creating during the residency. Separating the two in time would have led to a non-cohesive project outcome.

Remember when I was complaining on the first day of my residency that Madeira felt like a big theme park instead of nature’s hidden gem? To avoid the tourists, I worked the following night and created the Milky Way work, a good example that an artist has to have an open mind to adjust to the situation and to try different approaches on location.

Can you describe any specific techniques, materials, or approaches you experimented with during the program?

I received permission from UNESCO World Heritage to gather organic material from the Laurisilva to use in my artistic process. But due to a lack of time, I decided not to experiment with the organic material for the immersive exhibition. It’s something to try out in the next few months.

This organic material will be used as an extra layer in my transformation process. I transform the digital photos from location by demolishing the prints and skillfully re-constructing the photo-fragments into a dynamic artwork. The combination of digital editing and handmade work opens up a world of endless possibilities for my landscape and nature impressions.

Can you share an example of how you and your fellow artists inspired or learned from each other during the collaborative process?

Oh, my fellow artists inspired me so much! 

During the first meeting, Francesca advised me to buy the book ‘Entangled Life’ by Merlin Sheldrake. The connectedness of fungi is so powerful that it also had a direct impact on my project. Without that book, I would never have thought of making a work of the ‘Mother Laurel’, the Laurisilva fungi. 

Since David introduced us to his ‘tools’, with which he creates his sounds, I lost a bit of the magic of listening to a Pink Floyd album... That was mind-blowing! 

The vibe that he creates in his work is inspirational for my own practice and his animations of my trees are definitely something to keep in mind for future exhibitions. 

Rebecca opened up a new world for me … The Otherworld … Recently, whilst brainstorming for new projects, I delved deeper into her world of myths, legends and folklore, which has now resulted in a mysterious project in the Scottish Highlands. I never imagined researching dryads, kelpies, selkies and whatnot… but I feel that Scottish mythology is the ideal metaphor to create an inspiring series about the intriguing landscape and obscure history of the Highlands.

So Joana, once I make it to the Highlands, all of your artists will be in the UK & Ireland, it’s up to you to come over and arrange the first offline meeting. ;)

If you could give one piece of advice to future participants of this program, what would it be?

Just do it, it’s so inspiring and full of connections, which leads to new perspectives, better ideas and stronger work. Thank you so much for selecting me Joana, see you in the Highlands! 

Know more about Kenny's work here.

See the immersive virtual exhibition here.

All images courtesy of Kenny Ros.