Host(ile) Lands

When does a guest become an intruder?

Host(ile) Lands presents new work of four artists from Asia who are residing in the Netherlands and whose artistic research focuses on plant and animal species that are highly valued in their countries of origin but considered invasive in their adopted country. Biological invasions and human migrations are increasingly enhancing geographic connectivity and proximity on a global scale. Both processes involve the movement and encounters of species with complex philosophical, ethical and political parallels that are being explored in this exhibition.

Welcoming who?

As with human migration not all foreign species are considered invasive or alien. A definition of invasive species found on the internet reads: “A plant or animal that does not originate in the Netherlands but arrives here through human actions is called an exotic species. A small part of the exotic species adapts too easily to their new environment, multiplies quickly and becomes a threat to native species. At that point we call them invasive”. It is interesting to note that the success of quick assimilation is -contrary to our views on human migration-  what makes a species invasive.

Disruption or modification?

Invasive species significantly modify or disrupt the ecosystems it colonizes. Such species may arrive in new areas through natural migration, but they are often introduced by the activities of other species. Human activities, such as those involved in global commerce and the pet trade, are considered to be the most common ways invasive plants, animals, microbes, and other organisms are transported to new habitats, often as stowaways on trade vessels.

Some successfully adapt, such as the potato that migrated in the 16th century from Peru but is now closely aligned with the Dutch identity, others are considered a pest and much resources are spend to elimate them.

The paradox

According to this definition there is an interesting paradox between invasive species and human migration. One could say that in human migrations it is those with less impact on the environment that are considered alien, whereas those that manage to colonize their environment most strongly become the owners of that land. There are many reasons why we could think of human species as invasive colonizing the habitats of other (and our own) species, and those who are considered aliens are often those that have the least impact on our societies.

It’s all political…

Even though human migrations and colonization is at the root cause of the migration of other species that travel with us, with other than human animals and plants we consider the ability to flourish a threat covered in The Invasive Alien Species Regulation. It shows that terminology as exotic and invasive, or in human terms distinctions as an expat or a migrant, are not only highly subjective but also politically motivated.

Questions

The main question that arises from the work of these four artists is whether we can conceive of other ways of co existing outside of the current frameworks that determine what we value and what we do not, who is allowed to live and who is not. And how does cultural identity and geographic belonging shape judgements of who is deemed invasive or alien and who is worthy of finding a home.

Public Programme

Sunday 19 April • 3–5 PM OPENING 3.30 curator & artists talks

Sunday 17 May • 3–6 PM ARTIST TALKS with a Bite artists Hangfeng Chen and Pan Vanitcharoenthum prepare Japanese knotweed and crayfish and discuss their work in greater depth which we will eat together during a conversation about the ideas behind their work.

Friday 6 June • 2.30–4.30 PM THE PERENNIAL READING GROUP: a collective reading, hosted by Anne Diestelkamp of Beyond the War on Invasive Species by Tao Orion – a critical exploration of how we relate to so-called “invasive” species and the ecosystems we shape. Texts provided on site. Register? Send an e-mail to: communicatie@zone2source.net

4.30 – 6 INVASIVE SPECIES WALK: after a short introduction to the exhibition, ecologist Arend Wakker will take us on a walk through the Amstelpark to explore, observe and discuss “invasive species”. Everybody young and old: welcome to join!

Sunday 14 June • 3–6 PM DEBATE Host(ile) Lands, in which the artists, together with invited speakers, explore the cultural and political implications of invasiveness, exoticism and the migration of people, animals and plants. As part of this closing event, Mariko and Kumi will be preparing a meal.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Kumi Hiroi is a Japanese artist who divides her time between Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and Tokyo, Japan. Her work explores the diversity of imagery associated with language, such as “images evoked by words” and “words evoked by images.” She is particularly interested in the biases, preconceptions, prejudices, and discrimination inherent in these diverse interpretations. In recent years she has been investigating the geographical, historical and economic contexts of iconic images that exist within the relationship between nature and human. She expresses her theme by integrating various media—such as text, photography, video, textiles, and glass. By blending research and imagination, she creates works that carefully depict the complex layers of her subjects and critique the structures underlying them.

Mariko Hori is a Japanese-Dutch multidisciplinary artist working across installation, performance, and socially engaged, research-based practices. Trained in architecture, she creates spatial works that deliberately blur boundaries between human and more-than-human beings, exploring existence as something formed through relations rather than as a fixed state. Her work has been presented internationally, including at the Amsterdam Museum, Watou Art Festival, Commagene Biennale, and Folkestone Triennial, and is held in collections such as the Verbeke Foundation and Museum Macura. In 2024 she received the Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant, and since 2025 she has been an artist-in-residence at KWR Water Research Institute in the Netherlands.

Pan Vanitcharoenthum is a Thai mixed media artist and designer based in Utrecht. His project and research focuses on the theme of healing nature through radical inclusivity. In 2017, Pan moved to the Netherlands to study at Academie Minerva in Groningen, where he earned his Bachelor’s degree in Fine Art in 2021. Living as a foreigner in the Netherlands shapes how he looks at minorities and coexistence. During his final year research, he volunteered at the Bodemzicht farm in Nijmegen where he learned about the importance of diversity in nature and society toward nature regeneration. Between 2021 – 2025, he received multiple commissions from Rijksmuseum and Groninger Museum to create tactile artworks for blind and visually impaired audiences. During 2022 – 2024, he became an artist assistant of Dr. masharu, an artist and scientist who researched the lost culture of earth eating. From 2023 onward, Pan’s artistic focus is on the topic of invasive species and their coexistence with local species. In 2024, Pan obtained a Master degree in Fine Art from Utrecht School of the Arts (HKU) and his artistic research ‘Regenerative Hunting’ was nominated for the HKU award. Between 2024 – 2025, he exhibited his artworks in spaces where art and ecology intersect, such as the Re_Nature festival, Utrecht Botanic Garden, and the garden of HKU Oudenoord. The work of Pan is currently supported by the Voucher Development from Mondriaan Fund.

Hangfeng Chen is a visual artist and filmmaker working between Amsterdam and Shanghai. His practice centers on the reappropriation and juxtaposition of archival materials to create a dynamic dialogue between personal memory and historical narrative. This interdisciplinary approach has led him to move fluidly between fine arts and cinema, particularly in the realms of papercut, collage, drawing, and animation. Through this process, Chen explores layered connections that transcend time and geography, reflecting on hybridity and entanglement in the anthropocentric era. Chen studied painting and art history at the Shanghai Fine Art College (BA) and holds a master’s degree from the Netherlands Film Academy. He is currently an artist and researcher in residence at the University of Amsterdam, within the Faculty of Humanities.