PHOTO EXHIBITION
INTERACTIONS:
VISUAL Conversations
WITH URBAN Nature
November 12-24
Montreal
We invite you to step into Tatiana’s intriguing world where urban nature takes center stage, revealing its complex relationship with the built environment. Through these images, you are exploring how the cityscape interacts with trees, bushes, and flowers and how nature reclaims spaces from concrete, and how we attempt to suppress or control it when it grows too wild. The streets also bear witness to the objects we leave behind–the detritus of daily life that coexists with nature, creating unexpected vignettes of urban life. Yet, in many instances, a surprising visual harmony emerges—a story of interaction that is both amusing and unexpected.
The exhibition at Montreal’s Galerie du Viaduc is the result of Tatiana’s seven years of walking and observing urban nature in Montreal, Canada, and Merida, Mexico. It is the first in a series of gallery shows that will take place in Mexico in 2025-26.
“…a story of interaction that is both amusing and unexpected.”
A WORD FROM TATIANA
In 2017, I experienced several personal tragedies that left me in profound emotional pain. With my life shattered, I searched for ways to emerge from the shock. It began with daily walks, where I slowly observed the world around me, noticing often-overlooked details: textures, shadows, and the small elements that shape our cityscapes. Having always been involved in photography both personally and professionally, I began using my iPhone to record these observations, creating a visual diary.
Over time, these walks transformed me, bringing serenity, balance, and physical well-being. I was especially drawn to the early mornings and late afternoons when the light was most captivating. These urban explorations shaped my days; I woke up eager to find the visual delights awaiting me in quiet streets and hidden alleys.
I am still constantly uncovering hidden realms within our urban landscape, where the elusive and the everyday intertwine. This journey reveals not only these secret dimensions but also deepens my self-discovery, as I interpret silhouettes and shapes that, like visual poems, offer insights into both myself and the world around me.
Hours spent walking and capturing images of urban nature always lift my spirit. These urban escapes have become an integral part of my routine, and rarely does a day pass without me covering many miles. When dark thoughts find their way in, a long walk restores my balance, offering new perspectives.
These walks nurture my creativity in a space free from modern life’s constant interruptions. I am particularly drawn to urban nature — the green patches that survive and thrive amid concrete. Their resilience mirrors my struggles, teaching me that life, like nature, can find its way even in the harshest conditions. In these plants, pushing through pavement cracks or clinging to building edges, I see my journey reflected. Their ability to flourish despite adversity is a metaphor for my healing process, showing that resilience is not just about survival but also about finding beauty and strength in unexpected places.
This exhibition is a visual homage to urban nature’s resilience and its lessons. I invite you on a journey where my images challenge our relationship with the urban landscape, raising questions and offering both humor and poignancy. This first exhibition focuses on two cities: Montreal, Canada, and Mérida, Mexico, where I continue to take hundreds of meditative visual walks.