In 2024, Rogier Houwen traveled through Mexico for two months to work on his project Cosmos. Supported by the Dutch Embassy and Terreno Baldío Arte, the journey took him from Mérida, Yucatán through the states of Chiapas, Oaxaca and Puebla to Mexico City. During this elongated residency Houwen photographed caves, cenotes, Maya temples, botanical gardens, cactus fields, and volcanoes—among other remarkable ecological and cultural landmarks. The resulting collection of photographic works explores how the natural world and human-made environments intersect and intertwine as one ecological system.

The title of his project Cosmos refers to its original meaning: harmony. In an era where our connection to the natural world is increasingly challenged, Houwen shares a hopeful and refreshing vision of nature and culture at peace.

In this series you will find a dialogue between nature and culture: from stones carefully placed by ancient civilisations to the rocks in the ocean crafted by the forces of nature.