Van Gogh House London

Spanish artist Inés Cámara Leret lived at Van Gogh House from the 6th to the 30th of May, 2024.

Inés Cámara Leret is an artist from and based in Madrid. She studied Fine Arts at the Complutense University of Madrid (2008-2013) and Akademie výtvarných umění v Praze (2012-2013) and achieved an MFA from University of the Arts London (2013-2015).

During her residency at Van Gogh House, Inés experimented with and produced a series of sculptural works exploring the plasticity of physical traps. This is derived from her focus on evolutionary traps, specifically butterfly traps.

Since 2024, Inés has been researching the disappearance of a small common butterfly that has fallen into an evolutionary trap in the Levante region of Spain. This butterfly has become an anchoring point for exploring other evolutionary traps and their role in constructing and upholding contemporary myths. For the exhibition ‘Cycles,’ she delved into afforestation methods in arid landscapes as another form of evolutionary trap. Using materials derived from pine trees, commonly used in these afforestation efforts—such as paper and resin—she reflects on contemporary ways of interacting with and consuming the landscape.

To further develop her research, the artist connected with researchers from the British Museum, The Natural History Museum and the V&A Museum. Through engaging interviews with experts on ecology, Inés was able to gain a deeper understanding of the science behind her research, specifically her research on the disappearance of the ‘pánfila’ butterfly. This butterfly has become an anchoring point to explore other current evolutionary traps and their role in constructing and upholding contemporary myths.

Inés created a unique piece for Van Gogh House’s ‘Traces’ collection. The artist intricately wove together strips of beautiful Japanese paper, sourced from the local company @johnpurcellpaper, to create her own version of what are commonly known as ‘Chinese finger-traps’ or ‘atrapa-novios’ (‘boyfriend catchers’). According to the story, girls would trick boys into putting their fingers inside, trapping them into becoming their boyfriend!

This residency was supported by the Embassy of Spain UK, Acción Cultural Española and the Wang Family.