The Western New York Book Arts Center presents an exhibition by WNY artist Darya Warner on view March 13 – April 11, 2020. An opening reception to celebrate the exhibition will be held Friday, March 13th from 6-9pm. This event is free and open to the public. 

“My projects explore the Biophilia Hypothesis as a crucial factor in reconnecting humans and nature. The Biophilia Hypothesis is also known as, “the love of all living things” specifically in the era of climate change. This is done via interactive installations, visual displays, photography, sound, time-based media, and biology-based research. Sustainable art practices constitute a vital aspect of this work. Through this research, I address issues of environmental impact among artists and connect creative processes to earth-conscious practices. I am interested in shifting our relationship with nature from a human-centered perspective to that of a world-centered perspective, where recognition of intelligence expands through all the layers of our planet’s Biosphere. I have been working with mushrooms for the past 5 years and discovered their unique and extremely important role in many of nature’s processes. They are the ultimate communicators and creators of the networks that are vital in healthy ecosystems. With my work, I aim to connect human and mycelium-made networks as a hybrid entity.”  -Darya Warner

“Networks, entangled” envisions a hybrid space of mutual empathy between mycelium and humans.