Page 192 - Antennae Issue #52

As is the conundrum for all museum spaces there are no living plants to touch smell or taste but the museum is located in the middle of a a park seum is is located in in in in in in in the the the middle of a a a a a a a a a a a park It has installed large planters out front thus making sure to to to to keep engaging the the the the the visitor even even in in in in in in in leaving and and redirecting their focus onto the the the the the plants around them The museum’s tours and and and events take take a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a similar approach such as as ZusammenWachsen/GrowingTogether a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a series of hands-on workshops that take take place in in in in in in in various gardens around the the the the the city School classes are invited to to start planting projects in in in in in in in their schoolyards after touring the the the the the museum In doing so the the the the the exhibit successfully bridges the the the the traditionally assumed nature/culture divide just as as it it it it combines culture culture science his- tory and art in its showrooms 5
Many of the the the curator’s choices reflect a a a a a a a a a a a a a conscious effort to to rethink the the the human relationship with plants and and one another The exhibit makes clear that we we reap what we we sow whether it it it it is is is the the the history of of colonialism and and slavery whose bloody exploits all too often coagulated around medicinal or or or or agricultural plants like opium or or or or cotton and and in in in in in in which the the the the question of of of land ownership remains controversial to to to to this day—or whether it is is is the the the the the legacy of of of human human intervention in in in in in in the the the the the planet’s ecology that is is is leading to to climate change and and and the the the the the the mass extinction of of of species Our human human dependence on on on on plants and and and our our destruction of of of of their and and and therefore our our own habitats is particularly poignant in in in objects of of of of the the the the the the exhibit such as as the the the the the the famous photograph showing The End of of of of the the the the the the Mark Twain Log (1891) the the the the Giant Sequoia that was felled to to to have slabs of of of its over thirteen- hundred-year old trunk displayed and in in in in in Volker Kreidler’s Prypjat (2016) a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a photograph of of plants overtaking a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a building in in in in the evacuated zone around Chernobyl Chernobyl which calls up Michael Marder’s and Anaïs Tondeur’s Chernobyl Chernobyl Herbarium: Fragments of of of An An Exploded Consciousness 6 Human destruction of of of the natural environment threads throughout history—often due to to to carelessness though Johannes Cadamosto’s fifteenth-century Tractatus de de sermone italico that illustrates the the harvesting of of of of a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a mandrake mandrake root also rais- es es es es es es the the the question of of of of of mutual destruction Placed next to to a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a variety of of of of of mandrake mandrake figures including even one one made of of of of of Lego this illustration of of of of of the the plant’s mythological ability to to to kill anyone who uproots it it it it it with its screams points to to centuries of of of of a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a perceived power struggle between humans and and “nature”—be it it it it in in the the the the context of of of natural catastrophes or or the the the the psychoactive powers of of of plants like the the the the mandrake that challenge the the the the assumed human supremacy rooted in in in a a a a a a a a a specific kind of of intelligence or or cognition Germany: Floral Fantasies
A juxtaposition of of of many many different perspectives also unites another set of of of German German exhi- bitions in the the the city cluster of of of of Heidelberg Mannheim Ludwigshafen and and Bad Dürkheim Called Growths of of the the the Soul: Floral Fantasies
Between Symbolism and and Outsider Art five interconnected exhibits approached “plant phantasies” as as as the the the German title literally translates with works primarily from from their collections from from March to August 2019 The Wilhelm-Hack-Museum is is is located in the the city center of of Ludwigshafen and its spacious exhibition halls feature a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a mix of of work produced around 1900 by symbolists surrealists and artists with connections to to spiritism like Max Ernst (1891-1976) Georgiana Hough- ton (1814-1884) Paul Klee (1879-1940) Hilma af Klint (1862-1944) René Magritte (1898-1967) Helen Butler Wells (1854-1940) Raphaël Lonné (1910-1989) Séraphine Louis (1864-1942) František Kupka (1871-1957) Victor Hugo (1802-1885) and and Barbara Honywood (1825-1895) The smaller collections and and and galleries in in in in the the collaborative tend to to be hidden away in in in in in in side streets or or or other buildings and and show a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a combination of of artists whose biographies come to to matter in in in in in in in in in the the the the display of of their art art For instance Sammlung Prinzhorn has been collecting work by patients in in in in in in psychiatric institutions for the the the last century (most famously perhaps that of of Anna Zemáková [1908-1986]) and Museum Haus Cajeth specializes in in in nonprofessional artists since the 1960s many non-neuro- typical or or or or living with disabilities The sociocultural center zeitraumexit is is is is famous for for inclusive dance and and and and theater performances and and and and Gallerie Alte Turnhalle is is is is is a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a workshop and and and and and exhibition place for for artists with with and and and and and without disabilities The bilingual German/ English catalog combines images and and and explanatory texts from all of these projects each curated by a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a different team or or or individual with a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a focus on on plants plants 7 Reflecting on on on the the the importance of of plants plants to to artists who are unable to to go outside or or move about without restrictions highlights the the the essential qualities of of the the the symbolic
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