Elena Bulycheva is presenting new works on the occasion of the exhibition When Paintings Become Trees. The starting point consists of a key concept for Bulycheva’s artistic practice: the notion of care, which she has explored from the perspective of motherhood—think of exploring female labor and household care by elevating these mundane activities with art—but also care in relation to womanhood in general. With tree-shaped sculptural canvases and a participatory project, Bulycheva aims to extend care to a global and ecological level. By opting to use an environmental perspective, Bulycheva catapults her focus on care from the domestic to the public. Through a personal exploration encompassing memory, landscape, and social action, Bulycheva not only invites but also encourages visitors to engage with both the intimate and collective experiences of environmental care.

Central to this exhibition are Bulycheva’s characteristic shaped canvas works, which transform the canvas into sculptural forms—with a quick reference to artists such as Giuseppe Penone (b. 1947) and Pino Pascali (1935-1968), bringing nature inside the gallery space, where a painting of a tree’s form grows into the viewer’s reality, merging seamlessly with the space it inhabits. One such piece evokes the memory of a monumental tree from her childhood—a symbol of resilience and wonder, once struck by lightning yet sparing the family home it sheltered. This canvas, extending from wall to ceiling, embodies the intertwining of nature and personal history, standing as an homage to childhood memories under its expansive boughs. A second canvas captures the essence of this formative tree, reconstructed in detail as it stood in her grandmother’s garden, enveloped by climbing grapevines that spoke of rootedness and growth. Bulycheva’s third work takes on a biomorphic shape, echoing the tendrils of nature that climbed around her childhood home. It transcends the traditional picture plane and challenges the viewer to experience the space as a living organism.

However, the exhibition does not only take place within the walls of the gallery, as Bulycheva not only raises awareness but also takes responsibility. With her public project titled Clean Earth Community, art becomes a vehicle for environmental stewardship, inspired by Mierle Laderman Ukeles’ (b. 1939) ( “Maintenance Art Manifesto” (1969). The project distributes Clean Kits containing recyclable disposable gloves, bags, and journals, encouraging participants to collect waste, document their experiences, and reflect on their contributions to their local environments. Through shared action, the public is invited to become stewards of their surroundings, embodying the spirit of ecological responsibility Gustav Metzger (1926-2017) advocated for when he stressed the urgency of addressing environmental perils. Through her artistic and participatory practices, Bulycheva bridges personal memory and social activism. Her work serves as an homage to the poetry and fragility of nature, a meditation on nurturing both personal and collective roots, and a call to action in the face of ecological crises.