French artist Lélia Demoisy presents a solo exhibition titled 'Récits de forêts' at the Domaine départemental de Chamarande in Essonne, running from May 10 to August 30, 2026. The show features sculptures, installations, and landscape interventions across the estate's orangery, park, and grounds, exploring the memory of forests, natural materials, and the interactions between species. Works such as 'Laissés sur la rive,' 'Le Foyer,' and 'Cedrus deodara – Forêts futures' use wood, fibers, charcoal, and animal tracks to probe themes of repair, regeneration, and the boundary between life and endurance.
The exhibition matters because it reframes the forest not as passive scenery but as a dynamic system of relations, mutual aid, and transformation, offering a nuanced alternative to blunt ecological messaging. By situating contemporary art within a heritage site, Demoisy bridges artistic practice with environmental observation, encouraging visitors to reconsider how landscapes preserve and transmit memory. This aligns with broader cultural conversations about art's role in addressing ecological awareness and the interconnectedness of living beings.