Symbiotic Inhabitation, Embedding and Grafting

We are inviting you to an Artist Talk by Harun Morrison

Feb 25 at 6 p. m. 

in TCM UMPRUM, auditorium, 3rd floor

Mikulandská 5

Prague 1

English friendly, free entrance.

The event is part of the UMPRUM Visiting Artist Studio programme.

The symbiotic in biological terms is a close connection between different types of organisms in which they live together and benefit from each other. Heinrich Anton de Bary, defines symbiosis as ‘the living together of unlike organisms’. Although in some definitions of symbiotic, it's a parent category of behaviour that might include parasitic alongside two other typical categories: (1) mutualistic and (2) commensalist. The former being mutually beneficial, whereas in commensalist (2)  one species benefits and the other is unaffected.) Embedding, which we can loosely define as one structure implanted in another, can be a video within a video as practiced in reaction videos and by streamers or a physical object. Grafting is a term used in horticultural practice to enable two different plants, even two different species to fuse together. Taking this age long practice as a starting point, alongside embedding and symbiotic inhabitation,  how and to what end can these processes be models of collaborative working, intentionally bridging between works and practices?

Harun Morrison is an artist and writer based in London and a former associate artist with Greenpeace UK on the project Bad Taste. Harun is currently showing work in the Brent Biennial 2025: Bones, stones and calling the four elements. He recently presented work in the group show, SOIL: The World at Our Feet. In 2024, he was in the two person show, DONO, at Somerset House Studios project space G31 alongside Appau Jnr Boakye-Yiadom and the solo show Conjunction at VOLT, Devonshire Collective in Eastbourne . His forthcoming novel, The Escape Artist will be published by Book Works. Recent group exhibitions include Sonic Acts 2024: The Spell of The Sensuous, Amsterdam, Chronic Hunger / Chronic Desire in Timișoara, Romania, BALATORIUM Disturbed Waters, in Veszprém, Hungary as part of the European Capital of Culture 2023 programme and Bamako Biennial, 2020 in Mali. Harun is a Visiting Fellow at Goldsmiths University, London and part of the Art and Ecology Research Centre. He is also part of the faculties of the Dutch Art Institute, MA Art Praxis, Ruskin School of Fine Art, Oxford, Open School East  and Conditions in Croydon, London. 

/ www.harunmorrison.net / @harunishere

Photo: The Anchor, The Drum, The Ship. Photo by James Allan