Marielin Simons is a recent graduate from the Studio Art program at Minerva Art Academy in Groningen, The Netherlands.

Artist statement

Nature fascinates me, especially the woodlands. In the forest, the beams of light that fall through the canopy, the different smells of soil and sap, and the tell-tale tones of the seasons and the passing of time all tell a different tale.

I am increasingly curious about how my view on nature is reflected in a modern and technological world. It seems that people have a desire for unspoiled nature in which they feel stress-free and comfortable. Technology has affected society and its surroundings in a number of ways: the gradual disappearance of barriers of communication, the development of a global economy, and unwanted side effects such as pollution and the depletion of natural resources.

In the various implementations of technology and the prominence of efficiency, I observe a paradox: the more pervasive technology becomes, the more desire we experience towards nature. This is the contract I attempt to facilitate through my work.

My working method is thus characterized by this notion: on the one hand I aim to draw upon untouched, pristine nature, whilst simultaneously referring to the distance we have created between ourselves and the natural world from whence we came.