Zak van Biljon
Modernising Nature

Exhibition:
August 29 to October 11, 2025

Opening:
Thursday, August 28, 2025, 18.30h
Introduction by Gwendolyn Fässler, art historian

Artist Talk:
Saturday, September 20, 2025, 15h

Finissage:
Saturday, October 11, 2025, 13-17h

Opening hours:
Wednesday to Friday 17-19h
Saturday 13-17h
or by appointment


Modernising Nature
Zak van Biljon went beyond the visible spectrum in order to obtain a fresh view of the beauties of nature. The result is images of unprecedented vibrancy.

The technique
The photographic technique used was originally developed for military surveillance and crop surveying. It captures light in the near infrared range: Infrared refers to wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation that lie between what we see as red and the longer wavelength radiation used for thermal imaging.
The pigment in the leaves of plants - chlorophyll - strongly absorbs visible light as it is used as an energy source during photosynthesis. The cell structure of the leaves, on the other hand, reflects infrared light particularly strongly. This is because strong absorption would lead to overheating of the plant and possibly damage to the tissue. The human eye is not able to perceive infrared light. However, it is precisely this reflected energy that reacts with infrared-sensitive material and produces electric pinks and strong reds.

The concept
Our idea of landscape does not necessarily overlap with the "real" landscape. Because nothing exists on its own, but only through our perception. This perception is subject to both individual observation and the classification of what we see.
This categorization, in turn, is heavily dependent on the images we are confronted with on a daily basis. The famous Windows desktop wallpaper "Bliss" and other similar motifs have become a kind of nature that we believe to be the "real" nature - unconsumed in an idealized way.
Nature photographs do not necessarily attempt to falsify nature, but rather reflect our perception of nature. But what image of nature do we actually have? On social networks, users share myriads of filtered photos of nature - or of what they think nature should be.
While people today are constantly exposed to the irresistible attraction of brightly lit cities at night and glowing screens, this artificial world is becoming something real. At the same time, reality is mutating into a veritable hype with the help of technology - such as filtered Instagram images. In this way, nature becomes random both as a reality and as a concept.

The images
We need a new view of nature in the 21st century - just like the landscape painters of the 19th century who were confronted with industrialization. The increasing urbanization of mankind in this century is ending our original symbiotic relationship with nature once and for all. Cities are growing into megacities, more than half of today's population is born in cities, and these new generations are technologized generations focused on comfort - but at the cost of being "liberated" from nature, perhaps even alienated from it.
But humanity can never detach itself from nature, let alone liberate itself.
The vibrant pinks and reds in Zak van Biljon's work will therefore attract those neon-lit city dwellers who believe they have transcended nature - and yet are subconsciously reminded of the nature out there. His art wants the viewer to remember the real landscape when looking at the seemingly unreal world of his photographs.