The Royal Botanical Garden (RJB), a research center of the CSIC, is hosting the photographic exhibition 'Juegos de Jardín' by visual artist Sergio de Luz. The exhibition, open from September 16, 2026, to January 10, 2027, invites visitors to explore the concept of pareidolia through black and white photographs.
Pareidolia is a psychological phenomenon where the human brain identifies familiar shapes, such as faces or animals, in ambiguous visual stimuli. Sergio de Luz's photographs, taken within the Botanical Garden itself, aim to evoke this reaction in the viewer, encouraging them to find figures within the abstract forms captured.
“"Pareidolia, by depending on the individual's capacity to project meanings onto non-figurative forms, highlights the diversity of ways of seeing and constructing meaning. Each viewer completes the image from their own sensory, cognitive, and emotional experience, generating interpretations that are not only legitimate but constitutive of the work itself."
“"I find it especially valuable that this exhibition reminds us of something essential in these times: the importance of recognizing the diversity of perspectives and understanding that looking is not simply seeing, but also interpreting, imagining, and dialoguing with what is before us."
Sergio de Luz describes his work as "a set of images that function as garden games. Open photographs that invite the viewer to interpretation and participation so that each person contributes their sensitivity and judgment." The exhibition also emphasizes an inclusive reading linked to disability, recognizing the diversity of interpretations as an enriching value.
Part of the 10th Contemporary Art Biennial of the Fundación ONCE, the exhibition is supported by the foundation and the ONCE social group. Sergio de Luz (Madrid, 1978) is a visual artist who explores perception and memory through contemporary photography.
The exhibition can be visited at the Cátedra Cavanilles (Villanueva Pavilion) of the Royal Botanical Garden, located at Plaza de Murillo, 2. Opening hours vary by month: 10:00 AM to 7:30 PM in September, 10:00 AM to 6:30 PM in October, and 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM from November to January. Access is free with the Botanical Garden's entrance fee.
