Museum Studies at Leicester

Events

The Tree MuseumOak TreeEuropean Oak Tree

16 May 2025 – 30 Jan 2026

David Wilson Library, ground floor.

Curated by students from the MA in Art Museum and Gallery Studies, The Tree Museum is an exhibition that explores the profound relationship between humans and trees.

It features work by contemporary artists Oto Hudec, whose piece The Floating Arboretum was shown in the Venice Biennale in 2024 and Melanie Rose, whose delicate drawings document some of the oldest trees in the UK. The exhibition also includes a curated selection of paintings on loan from Leicestershire County Council Collection, together with specimens from the University of Leicester Herbarium and a beautifully illustrated edition of 18th century naturalist John Evelyn's book on trees: Sylva, from the University's Special Collections.

The exhibition will be on show in the David Wilson Library, University of Leicester from 16 May 2025 to 30 January 2026.

Floating Arboretum

Oto Hudec is a multidisciplinary artist based in Slovakia, whose work explores themes of migration, environmental justice, and activism. His projects often engage with communities, highlighting stories of resilience and resistance in the face of ecological and social crises. Floating Arboretum, shown at the Venice Biennale in 2024, envisions endangered trees setting sail toward imaginary safe havens, mirroring the displacement of both nature and people due to environmental destruction. Inspired by activist protests against deforestation, this series of 18 posters tells the stories of trees that have been effectively protected through community-led resistance. Most of the trees are accompanied by a song and story, with a poem accessible via a QR code, creating a multi-sensory experience that weaves together narratives of survival, protest, and hope. By presenting trees as nomadic, Floating Arboretum challenges us to rethink our relationship with nature and emphasises the power of activism in protecting our ecosystems. Floating Arboretum website

Ancient Oak Drawings

The exhibition includes three intricate drawings by artist Melanie Rose depicting some of the oldest trees in the UK, forming part of her ongoing project exploring National Parks and collecting visual and historical information. Rose will complete 15 of these drawings depicting some of the oldest trees in the country, using parts of the trees themselves through a process of turning Oak Galls (small plant growths produced by Gall wasps' developing larvae) into ink. Her work bridges art and history, drawing inspiration from paintings in national collections that relate to the landscapes she studies. By intertwining traditional techniques with environmental exploration, Rose highlights the cultural and ecological significance of these ancient trees, emphasizing their role in both artistic heritage and conservation awareness.

Works from Leicestershire County Council Collection

Leicestershire County Council has an impressive collection of art established in 1947 by Stewart Mason, a dedicated educator. With over 1,000 original works from the 20th and 21st centuries, the collection promotes art appreciation in local communities through exhibitions and education. On show in this exhibition are seven paintings from this collection, by Avinash Chandra, Andrew Scott George, Keith Grant, James Kibart, Phyllis May Reynett James, Bridget Riley, Richard Slater. The works depict trees in a range of forms, seasons, and colours and help us explore the emotional connection between humans and trees.

University of Leicester Herbarium

The use of herbariums dates back to the 16th century, wherein botanical specimens were pressed, dried, arranged on paper, and stored to be used for academic teaching and research. Founded in 1945 by Professor TG Tutin, the University of Leicester herbarium works at the forefront of modern floristics and taxonomy for plants from across the British Isles, Europe and the Mediterranean Basin.

Today, herbaria stand at the forefront of botanical documentation and preservation. Providing a permanent reference for a botanical specimen in time, the DNA that can be extracted from plant specimens such as these allow scientists greater understandings of evolutionary relationships, changes in habitat and the effects of human intervention on the land in which the plants grow. Here, the crucial work of the University of Leicester herbarium is considered alongside the artworks of Oto Hudec’s ‘Floating Arboretum.’ Providing scientific reference to the trees of protest depicted by Hudec, this space draws connections between the artistic tree sanctuary Hudec imagines in his work, and ongoing scientific efforts towards botanical preservation.

Sylva, or A Discourse of Forest-Trees and the Propagation of Timber in His Majesty's Dominions

This is a landmark work by the British writer John Evelyn. The book is set against the backdrop of the timber crisis in Britain caused by over-logging, and aims to advocate the sustainable use of forest resources. He proposed strategies for afforestation, forest protection and rational development of timber to alleviate resource shortages. He systematically analysed the characteristics, economic value and cultivation techniques of native tree species such as oak and elm, emphasizing their key role in shipbuilding, construction and fuel production. As one of the earliest comprehensive forestry documents in the UK, the book promoted forestry reform and is hailed as a pioneering work in the history of environmental philosophy and practice.

2024/25 School of Museum Studies/Institute for Digital Culture Seminars (Semester 2)

Seminars take place in person at the Innovation Hub, 128 Regent Road, Leicester LE1 7PA (either in the Boardroom or the Conference Room, ground floor), and online via MS Teams. All are welcome. 

Cr/ia (Creative Research/Instituting Art) training series: Arts-based methodologies in research

Cr/ia will offer four training sessions in arts-based methodologies aimed at addressing questions of power in knowledge production, and at improving the ability of research methods to grasp affective, ephemeral and embodied knowledge. The training sessions are open to all PGR students and staff from the University of Leicester for a maximum of 25 participants. Please write to lias@le.ac.uk if you would like to book a place also indicating any accessibility needs.  

Browse further details for the Cr/ia event

 

Current debates in the arts

A free online event on Monday 31 March 2025.

This day-long spring school will address current debates in the Arts, Museum and Gallery sectors. Attendees will hear from experts who teach the MA in Art Museum and Gallery Studies and will have an opportunity to discuss these issues informally with them.

View details and register your attendance for current debates in the arts event

Events archive

Museum Studies at Leicester hosts and promotes a variety of events on the Leicester campus and beyond.

Learn more about our past events

  

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