Page 194 - Antennae Issue #52

194 antennae
the the the the figuratively “easily obtainable” piece of of of cake) when hungry or or deprived Featured as as as a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a work of of of art in in in the the the the the exhibit the the the the the flower has also become the the the the the symbol of of of a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a tragic nearly forgotten life that the the the the the collectors and and and curators assigned value by considering it it it worth preserving and and and beyond the the the the the the individual it it it it it it is is is is a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a symbol for for ffor a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a certain historical context and and and its conditions What is is is is the the the the the the visitor to to to to do then with the the the the the the affordable postcard of the the the the the the image image that can be be purchased in in in in in the the the the the the the lobby? The image image has has been turned into into a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a different kind kind of of of currency with with with another kind kind of of of value here—carrier of of of messages from the the the asylum into into a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a space that is awash with with with cake and and flowers flush with with with writing and and drawing supplies like the the the the the postcard itself Does it it it it it it ask us us us us to to reflect on the the the the the value of the the the the the things we we we take for granted? Will it it it remind us us us that others starve while we we we we can go to to the the the the the museum café and and satisfy our cake cake cravings amidst trees grass and and flowers or or do we we we replicate Marie Antoinette’s purported offense o of suggesting to to to “Let them eat cake!”? With a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a view to to to our climate-stricken future it it is not just the the the cake cake but also the the the flowers we we are taking for granted Haus Cajeth is is another one of the the the the places in fin in this collaboration that features what the the the the the the exhibit defines as as “Outsider Art” a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a term critically contextualized in fin in in the the the the the the catalog (Egon Hassbecker [1924–2013] originally collected these works under the the the the the problematic moniker “Primitive Art”) The house in in the the the the the the historical center of Heidelberg dedicates its upper rooms to to to to the the the the exhibit and the the the the visitor might be be alone with the the the the art on on on on any given day Here too a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a stack of primarily gardening books is is is is heaped on on on on on a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a nearby table as as if to to to contextualize plants beyond art in in in case visitors forget their existence in in in the the the the outside world The The images on on on on the the the the the other hand often show flowers or or or or trees that a a a a a a a a a a a a a taxonomer would have trouble identifying The The paintings of of the the the farmer Pellegrino Vignali (1905- 1984) for instance depict symmetric tree-like structures growing from human heads on on colorful backgrounds He began drawing at at 72 inspired by the the the the the old myths and fairy tales he he he he he he he he heard as as a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a boy from his his father on on on their deliveries across Northern Italy Other works focus on on minute details such as as as Günther Neupel’s (1959-) who began his his intri- cate drawings of of hybrid faces vines and and and trees reminiscent of of mandalas and and and mosaics during a a a a a a psychiatric stay Helene Reimann (1893-1987) on the the other hand produced clearly identifiable specimens of geometrically precise flowers such as as poppies roses and and and tulips as as she lost her memory and and the the the the the ability to communicate with the the the the the outside world Given the the the the the in- formation provided about about about the the the the the the the artists’ lives this exhibit is is is much more about about about the the the the the the the painter’s relationship and imagination of of the the the the the the the vegetal world world or or or or or the the the the the the the world world as as a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a whole than about about about about the the the the the the the onlooker’s ideas about about plants plants Yet most of of of of these plants plants are symbolic in in in their their own way indicative of of of of the the the the the the human human idea idea idea of of of of “a “a tree” or “a “a rose” and no matter how abstract their their rendering they become recognizable as an an an an an essentialized human human idea idea of of of plants The United States: Botanical Relations & Big Botany
In the the US plant exhibits seem to take place primarily at at at at at the the museums of public Uni- versities or or similar educational environments Botanical Relations for instance showed from January to to March 2019 at at at at at the the University of of of of of Arizona Museum of of of of of Art and was co- curated by the the museum’s Curator of of of of of of of Exhibitions Olivia Miller Professor Professor of of of of of of of Plant Sci- ence Ursula Schuch and myself Assistant Professor Professor of of of of of of German Studies 8 The interdis- ciplinary exhibit drew on on on the the museum’s collection to to fill one of of of of its galleries with work fitting the the four topics of of “Dis/Order” “Individualism” “Vegetal “Vegetal Eroticism” and “Vegetal “Vegetal Violence” Works by luminaries Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841-1919) Georgia O’Keeffe (1887-1986) Andy Warhol (1928-1987) alongside local artists such as Barbara Rogers (1937-) challenged visitors to to consider the the the manifold human relationships with plants such as their attractive sensual aesthetics and our our violent use or or or or outright neglect de- spite our our dependence on on on on them 9 For a a a a a a a a a a a a a a selection of of works in in the the the the the the the the exhibit each of of the the the the the the the the co-curators contributed language to to to the the the the the the labels that contextualized the the the the the the piece in in their respective areas of of of expertise of of of art history plant plant plant science and and plant plant plant studies The exhibit highlighted that plant plant plant individuality functions differently from our sense of of of of self and and and hu- man man attempts to order nature show the limits of of human understanding