<p dir="ltr">Natasha’s project ‘Ghosts of the Great North Wood: Alchemising Ecological Grief’ was chosen from a shortlist of five finalists, after RENSEP and Arts University Plymouth received over 200 enquiries into the award.</p> <p dir="ltr">The project delves into the intersection of art, ecology and the esoteric and examines the role of esoteric practice in the face of anthropocentric poly-crisis. Natasha will use alchemy as a lens to consider our human relationship to the natural world, explore the archetypal forest as alchemical space and the practice of conjuring ghosts of lost landscapes.<br /></p>

<p dir="ltr">Natasha V. Moody is a British and Polish artist working across sculpture, installation, photography, and writing. Deeply rooted in the cultural symbolism of plants and occult histories of visioning the unseen, her practice invites viewers into a realm where plant material becomes a conduit for ecological reflections and mystical encounters. Her fascination with the intertwined histories of occulture, art and science materialises as a process-led alchemical practice where sap becomes sunlight and the photographic darkroom a seance cabinet. She graduated from MA Art and Ecology, Goldsmiths in 2022 and from Fine Art and History of Art from the University of Edinburgh in 2020.</p> <p dir="ltr">Natasha said, “I found out about the award through a tutor-turned-friend from Edinburgh who had introduced me to the study of the esoteric in an art history class in 2018. For the last six years my art practice and academic research has revolved around the intersection of the numinous with the material world, with a specific focus and inspiration from histories of esoteric practice. Reading the open call for the award I felt as though this was the perfect opportunity to continue exploring the intersection of art, ecology and occulture. Discovering I had been selected felt like a beautiful confirmation of my work's relevance and value. A wonderful affirmation that research and artwork that engages with mysticism, magic and other aspects of occulture is indeed worth pursuing.<br /></p>

<p dir="ltr">“This award offers me a chance to delve deeper into my ongoing project, ‘Ghosts of the Great North Wood’, which I’ve been nurturing throughout my MA. It’s an invitation to focus and expand on this work, exploring esoteric practices and their implications for my art in a way that traditional academic settings might not accommodate. Securing a studio in London, which I view as my alchemical lab, is a crucial step in my artistic process. It’s where I’ll bring my sculptures and installations to life, experimenting with material processes as a form of alchemy to explore our connection with life beyond the human scope. This project is about creating spaces that evoke the numinous, enabling small, seemingly insignificant objects to resonate with profound meaning.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“I am thrilled to be introduced to the work of RENSEP through this award. Since embarking on my journey into histories and practices of the esoteric, I have found myself having to explain why a focus on the magical is important as we approach the precipice of anthropocentric polycrisis. I’m excited to be able to share my work through the research network and re-enter a discourse that foregrounds the occult.”<br /></p>

<p dir="ltr">RENSEP is a leading non-profit foundation whose mission is to promote and advance the interdisciplinary and comparative study of esoteric practices from a global perspective. RENSEP’s ambition is to organise and structure a stimulating intellectual and methodological environment that allows researchers from different backgrounds and disciplines to meet and exchange their analyses and interpretations of esoteric practices from an open-minded, data-based, non-ideological and apolitical perspective.</p> <p dir="ltr">Andrea Centore, Co-Founder and Managing Director at RENSEP said, “We are thrilled to collaborate with Arts University Plymouth for the first RENSEP Artist’s Award. Aligned with RENSEP’s praxeological approach, Natasha’s project has the potential to enrich our understanding of the intersection between esoteric and artistic practice. The ecological dimension of her work resonates with the deep-rooted connection between humanity and nature inherent in many esoteric traditions. We are grateful to Arts University Plymouth for providing the necessary expertise and infrastructure to make this residency award possible.”<br /></p>

<p dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.aup.ac.uk/people/dr-stephen-felmingham">Professor Stephen Felmingham</a>, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Academic) at Arts University Plymouth said, “We are very pleased to be working alongside RENSEP on this significant residency award and are excited about its potential to contribute to the exploration of esoteric practices within contemporary art. Natasha's work focuses on our relationship to the natural world, a critical aspect of the University's vision to bring creativity to the centre of global issues, alongside our commitment to supporting artists and fostering new perspectives in the artistic and research communities.”</p> <p dir="ltr">For more details on Natasha's project and her artistic journey, please visit the <a href="https://www.rensep.org/news/ghosts-of-the-great-north-wood-natasha-v-moody-wins-rensep-artists-award-for-exploring-esoteric-ecology/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Research Network for the Study of Esoteric Practices</a>.<br /></p>