PANSENTIENT ARBORICULTURE | 25 APR 2025 - 7 JUN 2025
Proposition is thrilled to announce the public opening of its new cultural hub in Bethnal Green, launching with its inaugural exhibition Pansentient Arboriculture, a new solo exhibition by artist Sol Bailey Barker. This landmark moment marks the beginning of an ambitious new chapter in the organisation's story, driven by a newly devised artistic programme dedicated to exploring the nature of the human being, and the relationships we have with the living world that radically shape our lives, culture, and the ecology of our planet.
Pansentient Arboriculture explores the deep entangled relationship between human beings and trees.
Trees have lived on Earth since long before human life appeared. They have watched over and nurtured us from our very infancy, providing us with the air we breathe, the food we eat, shade to shelter us, material to build our homes, and limbs to fuel technological progress.
Trees are metaphors for our own lives; mirroring our need for protection and foundations, our yearning for freedom and lightness, our desire to grow and disperse, and our will to become unique individuals while remaining part of a far-reaching community of fellow beings.
Yet we persist in cutting down forests, allowing their ancient wisdom to fall on deaf ears. Even if one part of humanity is actively cultivating and protecting woodland, another is engaging in deforestation and destruction. Pansentient Arboriculture, proposes a system of care in which trees and entire forests are considered sentient and aware, having a form of consciousness.
This exhibition decodes our relationship with the arboreal world, considering practices such as agroforestry, ecological preservation, and their cultural and spiritual roles of trees. Drawing on the folklore of Albion, the exhibition builds a bridge to the world our ancestors lived in, extending from their knowledge.
This body of work highlights how trees are central to our wellbeing and long-term flourishing. Bailey Barker presents a series of sculptures carved from the trees of Sussex, exploring the tangible and intangible nature of our relationship with trees. Acknowledging the age of the Anthropocene, his practice is rooted in Ancient Futurism, Druidic knowledge, land stewardship, and modern technologies.
Pansentient Arboriculture offers a vision for a harmonious future and a way of life that respects and protects nature. The work responds to the subconscious realm that shapes the collective, cultivating a stronger sense of community with all living entities.
About Sol Bailey Barker
Sol Bailey Barker (b. 1987, England) is a sculptor who bridges ancient and modern worlds, blending traditional craftsmanship with contemporary techniques to create works that transcend their material origins. Through his multidisciplinary practice, Bailey Barker engages with mythology, archaeology, and ecological themes, forging a dialogue between the past and the present.
Working across wood, metal, and clay, his sculptures range from intricately detailed pieces to large-scale public artworks. His practice draws inspiration from ancient civilisations and sacred traditions, exploring universal motifs that connect human experiences across time and space. With a particular focus on mythology and animism, his work references archetypal symbols such as the Tree of Life and narratives like the Great Flood.
Bailey Barker’s work is deeply informed by his own near-death experience as a child, which left him in a coma for months. This encounter with mortality has shaped his artistic vision, imbuing his sculptures with a sense of transformation, survival, and reverence for the natural world. Situated within the realm of Ancient Futurism, his work merges indigenous knowledge with modern technologies to create new blueprints for environmental sustainability, social justice, and community development.
Website: www.solbaileybarker.com
Instagram: @solbaileybarker