Sayart.net - Jane Benson′s ′Dodo Note...′ Exhibition at Gallery Shilla Explores Artistic Interpretation of Literature

Courtesy of Gallery Shilla

At the recent exhibition "Dodo Note..." hosted at Gallery Shilla in Seoul, British interdisciplinary artist Jane Benson showcased her innovative approach to art, utilizing systematic interventions into existing literary and philosophical works. Benson, based in New York City, presented a diverse range of art forms, including sculptures, sound installations, drawings, and prints, derived from her reinterpretation of essays by American author David Quammen and writings from the 18th-century philosopher Baron d’Holbach. 

▲ An installation view of "Dodo Note..." at Gallery Shilla in Seoul (Courtesy of Gallery Shilla)

The exhibited works focused on Quammen's essays "The Song of the Dodo" and "The Coming Thing," exploring themes of extinction and evolution. Benson's artistic process involved excavating Quammen's texts, presenting handwritten reproductions with sections cut out, revealing a visually intriguing code or new language.

▲ "So Huge a Bigness (David Quammen) II" by Jane Benson (Courtesy of Gallery Shilla)

Additionally, Benson delved into Holbach's "System of Nature," a literary exploration of humankind's alienation from nature. During the pandemic lockdown, she found relevance in Holbach's writing and reconstructed the work by excising syllables of the musical scale, unveiling a found score embedded within.

Born in England in 1973, Jane Benson is known for her politically immersive and research-based approach to art. Currently teaching at Cornell University, she has also served as a visiting lecturer at Rutgers University, New Jersey, and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. The exhibition at Gallery Shilla demonstrates Benson's unique ability to blend literature and art, creating a multi-sensory experience for the audience.

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Blue YIM, yimyoungseo1010@naver.com