Yann Gross's 'Drift' Deconstructs the Palm Tree as an Icon of Progress at La Casa Encendida

At La Casa Encendida in Madrid, a new exhibition titled 'Drift' by Swiss artist Yann Gross, who was born in Vevey in 1981, is now on display. This project offers a critical perspective on the palm tree, examining its implications for territorial appropriation and the commercialization of nature. It includes a four-channel video installation, a series of photographs, and a Wardian case housing a palm tree, linking 19th-century glass cases to contemporary oil palm monocultures in the Brazilian Amazon, where Indigenous and Quilombola communities are fighting against land occupation. The photographs, taken in Pará state with local groups, highlight the tensions and confront the audience, drawing attention to the conflicts tied to the palm's promise of development. 'Drift' is part of La Casa Encendida's 2026 programmatic axis, 'Verbos Encendidos'.