The enigmatic guests at Lia Darjes’ banquet seem straight out of a fairy tale. Plates I-XXXI is a silent series in vivid colours that unveils the magic of an unexpected reality.

Squirrels, tits, slugs, field mice, ants, sparrows: these are some of the small animals that become the protagonists of Lia Darjes’ mysterious tale. Far from frightening, they captivate and charm with their furtive spirit.

In a style reminiscent of the Dutch masters who inspire her, Lia Darjes captures the secret life of these timid creatures. Placing the leftovers of a meal in her or her friend’s garden, she entrusts the ensuing spectacle to her camera, which she leaves outside for hours or days at a time, its shots triggered by movement. This encounter between staged and chance creates a documentary study of these fellow beings with whom we live side by side, and yet so separately from.

Plates I-XXXI is a silent, colourful series that lifts the veil to reveal that unexpected visitors and magical parallel worlds are closer than we think.