During the Renaissance, the scientific community, with new advances like the microscope, began to consider that even the smallest of creatures could have something valuable to teach mankind. A Dutch painter, Otto Marseus van Schrieck, was frequently engaged with the scientific community and knew about the latest theories and discoveries. Inspired by these discoveries, van Schrieck began to paint still life paintings with subjects and settings considered peculiar, or even taboo, for art at the time. This sub-genre was called Sottobosco, which translates as undergrowth or the forest floor. Re-enchanting the World In 2023, we find ourselves in the midst of a “Wild Renaissance” in which “artists and architects are drawing new perspectives and inventing new possibilities in response to the ecological crisis”. We are increasingly aware of the healing properties of nature, and their soothing effect on our frayed nerves. The forest floor, which consists of earthy materials like wood and clay, ground us in the simple pleasures of the natural world, and remind us that it is the rudimental things that sustain us. This year Renwil takes inspiration from the Renaissance painting practice of Sottobosco, focusing on nature inspired themes and natural materials and celebrating the age-old role of art to re-enchant the world.