Transports of Delight

Co-exhibitors:

Anna Barriball, Daphne Wright, Edward Chell, Gerard Ortín Castellví, Günther Herbst, Harun Morrison, Helen Maurer, Joseph Banks, Joy Gregory, Laure Prouvost, Lee Maelzer, Leelou Gordon-Fox, Maria Thereza Alves, Mariele Neudecker, Nick Laessing, Nils Norman, Owen Griffiths, Peter Hofer, Pia Östlund, Rosa Nguyen, Stephen Lee & Uriel Orlow

Cotterrell's new work, Bodegon 1, was included within the exhibition Transports of Delight at Danielle Arnaud Gallery from 14th October - 12 November, 2022.

In the 1830s, East London doctor and amateur naturalist Dr Nathaniel Bagshaw Ward invented a sealed glass case, an ecosphere in which plants could survive heavily polluted air. The Wardian case was soon being used for the transport of plants by sea around the world. From garden plants such as jasmine and rhododendrons to cash crops like bananas and tea, this simple invention transformed global economies and environments and shaped the world we live in.

Transports of Delight, explores the impact of this simple but world changing invention which links themes of colonialism, environment and the collection and display of plants associated with broader historical narratives.

A leaflet featuring a commissioned essay by Bergit Arends, curator of contemporary art, museum professional and academic, was made available during the exhibition.

A publication will be launched during the exhibition with writings from Edward Chell, artist, writer and curator; Luke Keogh who published in 2020 The Wardian Case: How a Simple Box Moved Plants and Changed the World (Chicago University Press) and Ros Gray, writer, researcher and Programme Leader, MA Art & Ecology, Goldsmiths, University of London.