About

​Nature’s kingdom is a violent place. A domain governed by unwritten laws of survival; crimson dressed moral warnings find no welcome or refuge amongst the dust and detritus remains. Some like to see humans as separate to this brutal world, bestowed with a reason it is claimed sets us apart. We are nevertheless part of this worldly drama. Borne of the need to endure inhospitable conditions, base survivalist instincts have been developed, making violence an inescapable necessity. This is a narrative retold across the ages in myths and tales, from the rainforests of Mesoamerica to shores of Ancient Greece. This far from tamed condition – or what we are calling A Natural History of Violence – is the start point for evolutionary thinking, the natural sciences, ideas on sovereignty and collective security, and the wider human condition. It’s also shaped our relationship with the planet.

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​Pre-Hispanic & Mexican societies know of this history better than most, speaking across generations of sublime tales concerning the life giving and life taking forces of nature. The multiple shadows of a red dusted history tell of numerous extinction events. Mexicans live beneath the majesty of a sleeping volcano – their own Mexican dream – which settled on the horizon gives comfort and security, yet one day promises to release an energy that could even bring about the end of time itself. While its different ecologies can be plentiful, they  have equally been hostile to human existence. From Mexico's dense wetlands and fertile jungles to the open plains and arid deserts, the character and soul of the Mexican people has been in allegiance and yet at war with its natural surroundings

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A Natural History of Violence is a testimony to this beautiful and sublime heritage, which continues to play out in Mexico and beyond - in lands of torment and dreams. Featuring the artwork of the internationally acclaimed Puebla-born painter Chantal Meza, the exhibition addresses the relationship between humans, the elements and our complex relationships with the vital world. Relationships where visions of the past, present and future collide and yet find harmony too as the restorative power of art opens a gateway into a beautiful song of healing and rebirth.

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