Lucia Monge: Mientras una Hoja Respira (While a Leaf Breathes)

Stomata are the pores through which plants breathe. Leaves, and sometimes stems, are covered by thousands of these tiny mouth-like orifices. They repeatedly open and close so gases can diffuse in and out of the plant’s body —exchanging air with the environment is key to their photosynthetic process. However, every time these pores open to breathe, the plant risks losing water. There is vulnerability in opening up, and loss and nourishment must be balanced in order to stay alive.

Curated by Elsa Mora, Lucia Monge: Mientras una Hoja Respira (While a Leaf Breathes) explores living cycles and material transformations happening both on the duration of an exhale and on the kind timescales that grow soil. Stomata become portals through which to let go.