Ephemeral Beings is an ongoing body of work by Bigum + Björge that emerges through direct engagement with natural environments and organic matter.
The works are formed from materials collected in the landscape, including leaves, branches, seeds, and other found traces. Through intuitive assembly, these elements become temporary sculptural presences that seem to reveal themselves through the process of making rather than being imposed upon them.
Each being exists only for a short moment in its sculptural form. They are photographed or filmed before being returned to the environment, where they continue their transformation through decay and natural cycles.
The first generation of Ephemeral Beings was presented at La Plataforma in Barcelona in the solo exhibition (2024), where the works appeared as cyanotype prints on paper toned in rosemary leaves.
The photographic works function as traces of encounters rather than fixed representations. They hold a tension between presence and disappearance, where image, sculpture, and landscape overlap.
Ephemeral Beings explores perception, pareidolia, and the shifting boundary between recognition and imagination.
Exhibition view
Solo exhibition at La Plataforma Gallery for Contemporary Art Barcelona
Print making
The photographs are meticulously hand-developed and hand-printed, using non-toxic processes in order to minimize the ecological footprint. We worked with cyanotype prints and toned them in a bath of rosemary herbs, which grow wild in the landscape of the project. The choice of methods align with the project's sustainable ethos, emphasizing the importance of working in harmony with nature rather than exploiting it.
Process
The creation of the ephemeral beings is an intuitive process. While we attentively listen to the distinct stories and essence held by each component, we harmoniously fuse natural materials and diverse shapes. This collaborative venture gives rise to new, enigmatic shapes and narratives, shedding light on the profound interconnectedness of all natural elements.
