Katie Paterson: Afterlife art review – Intricate, healing homage
Katie Paterson reflects on time, memory and environmental neglect, weaving together ancient artefacts and materials from endangered ecosystems
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The 197 reconstructed ancient amulets that comprise Katie Paterson’s latest artistic and environmental excavation are laid out on a bespoke round table, designed by international architects Zeller & Moye and made from sycamore by East Lothian-based Silvan Studio. The display may evoke the sort of hipster emporium where magic happens after dark as demons are invoked, but each intricately constructed piece that makes up Paterson’s sculptural installation has a story of its own.
Made from materials drawn from landscapes and environments under threat, the five sections (Biosphere, Hydrosphere, Cryosphere, Place & Climate, and Wildfire) cast Paterson as a Scheherazade-like figure. As she breathes new life into old forms, it’s a reminder of their strength gathered across centuries. Collected as both memorial and homage, Paterson’s labours bring home the fragile eco system each piece has sprung from, as a brand new set of myths is conjured into view.
Katie Paterson: Afterlife, Collective, until 6 September; picture: Thierry Bal.