Andrej Lamut
Invasive Alien Species
In his project Invasive Alien Species (2021), photographer Andrej Lamut turns his focus to invasive plant species that infiltrate foreign ecosystems and start displacing indigenous species.
Andrej Lamut, Invasive Alien Species, 2021. Courtesy of the artist. 
Andrej Lamut, Invasive Alien Species, 2021. Courtesy of the artist.
Andrej Lamut, Invasive Alien Species, 2021. Courtesy of the artist.
Because he started working on the project during the epidemic, when public life grinded to a halt, he directed his gaze towards the immediate surroundings of his home, where he discovered a surprisingly large number of plant invaders. He removed these intruders from their environment, meticulously documented them and visually presented them as true “aliens”.
In abstract and hermetic forms on paper, they assume unusual shapes that seem foreign and unrecognizable, as well as evidently organic. The effect is further intensified by the direct application of emulsion onto paper. The images are captured on paper made from Japanese knotweed, an invasive species – whereby the medium – in addressing the issues of discarded paper and our general disdainful attitude towards plants – complements the content of the work. The series Invasive Alien Species is a commentary on the environmental disaster and the gradual destruction of ecosystems, as well as our understanding of invasiveness and alienness, and of the threat they represent.
In abstract and hermetic forms on paper, they assume unusual shapes that seem foreign and unrecognizable, as well as evidently organic. The effect is further intensified by the direct application of emulsion onto paper. The images are captured on paper made from Japanese knotweed, an invasive species – whereby the medium – in addressing the issues of discarded paper and our general disdainful attitude towards plants – complements the content of the work. The series Invasive Alien Species is a commentary on the environmental disaster and the gradual destruction of ecosystems, as well as our understanding of invasiveness and alienness, and of the threat they represent.
Andrej Lamut, Invasive Alien Species, 2021. Courtesy of the artist.
Andrej Lamut (1991) is a photographer exploring a variety of different analogue and digital photographic techniques in his work. He considers photographs to be physical objects that are meant to be seen, felt and experienced. In 2016, he graduated with honours from the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Ljubljana. He has received several awards for his work, including the Prešeren Award for Students and the award for the best designed monograph at the 33rd Slovenian Book Fair. As an emerging artist, he represented Slovenia in the first series of exhibitions organised by the international photo platform Parallel Photo in 2018 and exhibited his work at the FORMAT festival in Great Britain and the Organ Vida Festival in Croatia. He is represented by Galerija Fotografija in Ljubljana.
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