Gabriel Alonso's A Long Chemical Dream Opens at ATM Galería in Gijón
Gabriel Alonso's solo show, A Long Chemical Dream, is currently on display at ATM Galería in Gijón, Asturias, Spain, running from September 19 to November 8, 2026. Curated by Cristina Ramos González, the exhibition examines how Western botany shapes knowledge and questions the perception of plants as passive entities. Alonso utilizes sulfates to ferment plants, transforming their colors and imprinting leaves with themes of geopolitical violence. The installation mimics a greenhouse, complete with climbing chains, ropes, and a wall marked by chlorophyll. At the opening, a bouquet of fresh flowers was enclosed in a box, generating a miniature weather system. Ramos González's accompanying text reflects on colonial collecting and promotes a phytopoetics. Photography by Pelayo Tamargo. ATM Galería operates Tuesday to Saturday, from 11:30 to 13:30 and 17:30 to 20:30.
Key facts
- A Long Chemical Dream runs September 19 – November 8, 2026 at ATM Galería in Gijón, Asturias, Spain.
- The exhibition is curated by Cristina Ramos González.
- Gabriel Alonso ferments plants with sulfates, industrial chemicals that alter soil fertility, causing the plants to change their pigmentation.
- The installation takes the form of a greenhouse and includes climbing chains, ropes, and a freestanding wall printed from the direct trace of vegetal morphology.
- A bouquet of fresh flowers from gardens and plants surrounding the gallery was placed in a box at the opening and left undisturbed to decay.
- The gallery is open Tuesday to Saturday, 11:30–13:30 and 17:30–20:30, other times by appointment.
- Photography is by Pelayo Tamargo, courtesy ATM Galería.
- The curatorial text critiques Western botany's colonial-era collecting practices and proposes a phytopoetics.
Entities
Artists
- Gabriel Alonso
- Cristina Ramos González
- Pelayo Tamargo
- Adolfo Bimer
Institutions
- ATM Galería
- Catapult Contemporary
Locations
- Gijón
- Spain
- Asturias
- Vienna
- Austria
- Carr. de Deva, 675, 33394 Gijón, Asturias, Spain