Social Ecologies Exhibition Explores Human-Nature Relationships Through Contemporary Art

From December 10, 2015, to February 21, 2016, the Gallery at Industry City hosted the exhibition 'Social Ecologies,' curated by Greg Lindquist. This showcase delved into environmental issues, drawing inspiration from Lindquist's essay in the Brooklyn Rail published in November 2015, which discussed the relationship between humans and nature. The exhibition paid homage to 1970s artists such as Robert Smithson, who explored the bond between art and location. Notable works included Charles Simonds' film 'Birth,' which utilized New Jersey clay, and Rackstraw Downes' landscape paintings that questioned the nature-culture divide. Contributions from Mary Miss and Mierle Laderman Ukeles provided feminist and land art insights, with Ukeles' 1984 Sanitation Manifesto focusing on maintenance. Ellie Irons examined the co-evolution of weeds and humans, while Alyson Vieira's plastic forms suggested decay. Alexis Rockman's 2008 piece 'Loam' illustrated layered ecologies, and Gio Sumbadze's photograph captured nature overtaking man-made structures.