Five artists explore the natural world and creation at a time of climate crisis, in a travelling exhibition for Hazelnut Community Farm.
Hazelnut Community Farm is a Bristol-based fresh expression of church with a vision for churches to flourish in the ecological crisis – which its leader, Revd John White, describes as “doing church inside out”. The community meets outside on land they have been reclaiming and are (literally) cultivating as a site of Christian worship; a place of growth in soil, soul and service both locally and beyond in work and projects.
The Creation Project is one of these – an interactive art gallery on loan to churches designed to inspire conversation around ecology, climate change, and communities growing together in Christ. In March, for instance, talk flowed when a group of south Bristol parishes hosted the gallery for a week starting with an event exploring creation care, and a scriptural reflection from John.
The exhibition is the work of five artists with a brief to respond to Hazelnut Farm site, the natural world and togetherness in Christ amid climate change. The gallery includes interactive pieces (textiles: a refectory table cloth; a large sail) and work in mixed-media, graphic design and drawing exploring togetherness, protest, abundance, resilience in nature, the search for better ways – and a provocative exhibition banner concerning the nature of change.
Eleanor J Lee, contributing artist