On the occasion of Ellie Kyungran Heo’s solo exhibition Plantarians (2017-2020), LUX and the London Korean Film Festival present a botanical lecture and artistic exploration reflecting on encounters between scientists, artists and nature through text, moving image and sound.

The first part of the event will be a lecture by biologist Dawn Sanders, discussing human encounters with plants. In this lecture, Sanders will take three perspectives: a scientific encounter between Charles Darwin and carnivorous plants; meetings between vegetal and human mortality; and openings between artists and plants.

Following the lecture, artist Ellie Kyungran Heo will present her engagement with ‘Oxford Ragwort’ in collaboration with composer Atzi Muramatsu who will perform a new composition live in response to Heo’s field research. The performance draws on Heo’s ongoing project The Ragwort that traces the historical journey of ‘Oxford Ragwort’ from its native homeland and explores compatibility and co-prosperity between the migrant plants and people. In this performance, attendees are invited to partake in an encounter with plants through texts.

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Dawn Sanders is an associate professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. She led the interdisciplinary (art, science, education) research team in the Swedish Research Council funded project: Beyond Plant Blindness: Seeing the importance of plants for a sustainable world.

Atzi Muramatsu is an award winning multi-disciplinary composer living in Edinburgh. His works encompass music for concerts, dance, poetry, exhibited arts and films. His music features in three BAFTA winning films. www.atzi.co.uk

Ellie Kyungran Heo is an artist who explores social/ecological solidarity, conflict and coexistence through time-based media, installation and interdisciplinary research. www.elliekyungran.com