TERRARIA MUNDI: WORLDS UNDER GLASS

Chinatown Soup is pleased to present Terraria Mundi (Worlds Under Glass), a solo exhibition by Soup Studio resident Ann Seymour Vegara that is on view December 15 - January 8, 2023. Tracing back to the wunderkammer of the 16th century, Ann's hybrid diorama-sculptures composed of insect specimens and other organic materials interrogate our relationship with the natural world while simultaneously attempting to pay homage to its majesty.

Please join us for an opening reception on Thursday, December 15th from 6 to 8 PM and an artist talk with live demo on Thursday, December 29th from 6 to 8 PM. 

And now, a word from the artist:

Self-expression is tricky. I’m a lousy painter, can’t hold a tune, my drawing is uninspired, and my sense of rhythm is questionable. When I look at the world and attempt to synthesize my observations and inquiries into a medium I can communicate with others, my options are limited. So I rely on nature, whose language is infinitely more proficient and profound than any vocabulary I could conjure.

My three-dimensional collages of organic objects and geometric patterns attempt to honor the realm of nature while also questioning its indifference. The coil of a seashell has inspired countless architects. For centuries, humans have used crystals in healing ceremonies. There are at least six million insect species on this planet and I’ve never encountered one that does not amaze me.

But what impresses a beetle? 

Ann was raised in the midwest but has called many places home, including New York where she has lived for the better part of the 21st century. She began making miniature dioramas about a decade ago that evolved over time into larger, more abstract pieces interrogating our relationship with the natural world. 

She sources real (!) dried insect specimens, primarily beetles, online. The insects hail from all over the world and many from places she has never been—Java, Madagascar, Peru. Their colorings and markings are natural and unaltered, evocative of their originating environments. Ann uses directed heat and moisture exposure to create a tiny insect sauna that relaxes their legs and wings so she can pin them in place. The result of this final resting is something sacred. 

When she is not creating her sculptures, Ann works as a journalist reporting on incarcerated artists. She likes cats, loves plants, and is deeply ambivalent about dogs.