Art Island 2024
17 — 19 May
Presenting work by
Milah van Zuilen
Milah van Zuilen, Drift Sands 05, 2024 | Dried leaves, sand, clay | 100 x 100 cm | Unique
Milah van Zuilen — Drift Sands
Milah van Zuilen is an artist as well as a forest ecologist by training. Her work revolves around the human perspectives on the landscape. In Drift Sands, van Zuilen works with sand and clay, and explores the influence of soil fertility on human perception of a certain landscape. How does this shape our interaction with the landscape?
Historically, soil fertility determined how societies interacted with their environment. In fertile regions, people settled and built, leaned towards intense farming and agriculture. In less fertile areas like shifting sands, the challenging landscape often led to a more dynamic relationship between humans and nature. Traditionally, these areas were seen as barren and inhospitable, leading to neglect or being considered as wilderness.
By combining leaves with sand and clay from different areas, Drift Sands highlights the relationship between soil fertility and human interaction with the landscape, and how this relationship shapes our perception of nature and culture.
By using the square as a central element, Milah van Zuilen reflects on the human tendency to think in rectangles and to categorize and control landscapes — a process that often leads to monocultural land use and loss of biodiversity.
Art Island 2024
Friday 17 May, 15.00 – 21.00
Saturday 18 May, 11.00 – 18.00
Sunday 19 May, 11.00 – 18.00
Forteiland IJmuiden
Boats depart every half an hour from Sluisplein 80, IJmuiden