Nona Inescu
Preservers, 2023-2024

‘Preservers (Case for nurturing interpersonal relationships)’ is a sculptural work, belonging to a new series of steel sculptures shaped like ancient sarcophagi, serving as contemporary containers for dry tropical plant specimens. This specific version of the work is based on a drawing from 1974 by the late Austrian artist Birgit Jürgenssen. Inescu brings to life the sketch from Jürgenssen by keeping only the structural part of the anthropomorphic greenhouse depicted in the drawing.

Drawing inspiration from anthropoid sarcophagi and the ill-fated ‘Wardian’ cases, also called “Ward’s coffins,” this series of works reference botanical exploration and the historical exchange and movement of plants across the globe. Meticulously crafted, the sculptures pay homage to the historical significance of sarcophagi while incorporating contemporary aesthetics. The dry plants fitted within the steel structure evoke the preservation of botanical specimens during historical expeditions, inviting a reflection upon the complex outcomes of botanical transport. The movement of plants (and whole ecosystems) across the globe, from the colonial past until the present, affected the world order, created whole economies, and changed entire landscapes.