Yann Gross's 'Drift' at La Casa Encendida: The Artificial Empire of the Palm Tree
Swiss photographer Yann Gross, who received the PHotoESPAÑA Discovery Award in 2008 for his work 'Horizonville', is showcasing his solo exhibition 'Drift' at La Casa Encendida in Madrid from May 16 to July 26, 2026. This project investigates the effects of plant species movement within colonial settings. Collaborating with indigenous communities, Gross delves into the ways plants have altered landscapes. The exhibition features a living palm tree and Nathaniel Ward's 'Wardian case'. Additionally, the series 'Fortune' captures the invasive Trachycarpus fortunei palm in the Swiss Alps, a species associated with tourism since the 1960s. The exhibition also presents 'Elaeis', a video documenting Amazonian residents overseeing land exploitation, as Gross critiques humanity's relentless growth and its repercussions.
Key facts
- Yann Gross won the PHotoESPAÑA Discovery Award in 2008 for 'Horizonville'.
- Exhibition 'Drift' is on view at La Casa Encendida in Madrid from May 16 to July 26, 2026.
- Gross's project links ethnography and botany, focusing on plant circulation during colonial empires.
- The Wardian case, invented by Nathaniel Ward in the early 19th century, inspired a central artifact with a live Asian palm.
- The series 'Fortune' documents the invasive Trachycarpus fortunei palm in the Swiss Alps, introduced from China.
- Mass planting of palms in Ticino began in the 1960s to boost tourism.
- Gross uses multispectral imaging techniques from forestry science.
- The video 'Elaeis' features indigenous and quilombo communities in the Amazon monitoring oil palm plantations.
- Audio includes statements by Lula da Silva and Dilma Rousseff on biofuels.
- The exhibition critiques the artificiality of natural environments and the consequences of development.
Entities
Artists
- Yann Gross
- Nathaniel Ward
- Robert Fortune
Institutions
- La Casa Encendida
- PHotoESPAÑA
- Círculo de Bellas Artes
Locations
- Madrid
- Spain
- Switzerland
- Alps
- Ticino
- China
- Asia
- Africa
- Amazon
- Pará
- Brazil