RESEEDINGS

Reseedings is a project realised as a part of  the festival Britzenale 5. It was installed at the allotment garden Kleingartenanlage „Zufriedenheit“ e.V. in Berlin Britz, at plot tended by Christa and Udo. Britzenale 5 „Mappings” was curated by Christoph Zwiener & Vincent Schier with curatorial assistance by Gianna Ehrke.

In response to the festival’s theme, mapping, this project explores the relationship between the allotment gardener — the person tending to a designated piece of land, and the living, evolving nature that inhabits it. We come to know this piece of land through the stories and relationships of those who care for it, with the plants and organisms that live there. These relationships, often built over many years, are rooted not only in gardening, agricultural, or ecological practices— in practical knowledge—but also in care, attentive observation and empathy—in sensitivity. The gardeners consistently nurture a close bond with nature, tuning in to its ongoing processes. They also embody a valuable approach in the face of biomass degradation and climate change: the method of small steps, of community, perseverance, and patience.

In the installation, we can listen to the gardeners as they speak about their gardens: about trees, life cycles and plant growth, the nurturing of flowers, watering methods, waiting for the first fruits, composting, seed exchanges, and the observation of animals and insects. They also share how they pass on knowledge — permaculture principles, folk wisdom regarding nature and plant cultivation — as well as new plant species, herbs, seeds, and harvests with other gardeners. The tone of voice and the words chosen by the gardeners in their stories reveal emotions such as tenderness, fondness, care.

Listening stations were build from the basic allotment infrastructure: chairs and umbrellas received from the gardeners I had interviewed. Headphones were mounted on stands built from the metal growing aids.

A curatorial text by Christoph Zwiener & Vincent Schier:
Reseedings takes up mapping as an artistic practice and approaches the allotment garden site “Zufriedenheit” with the question of how the human-nature-relationships are negotiated in this regulated natural space. In doing so, she also gives the allotment gardeners a voice, some of whom have been looking after their gardens for decades and share them with plants and other living beings. The relationships that develop here with a piece of land are not of a purely practical nature, even if the knowledge of gardening as a craft, as well as agricultural practices and ecological conditions, is very present here. The emotional relationships that develop here are just as important. In addition to the shared history gardeners have with their gardens, gardening as a craft is also a highly sensitive one and is characterised by mindfulness, care, and empathy. The conversations that Bea had with gardeners in the “Zufriedenheit” therefore also revolved around community work, gardening knowledge that has been passed down through generations, permaculture, and so-called “farmer’s wisdom”, which allows conclusions to be drawn about human-nature relationships. At the same time, they raise the question of whether this knowledge is still valid against the backdrop of drastically changing climate conditions. In the midst of climate change, knowledge about how to deal with nature, about the “methods of small steps”, and about the perseverance and patience that gardening often requires is of increasing importance.

Conversations:
00:00—9:40min — Simone and Ralph
9:45—17:55 min — Mileva
18:00—27:50 min — Viola
27:53—39:12 min — Christa and Udo
39:15—47:13 min — Cordula and Rene

Thank you Christa, Cordula, Mileva, Ralph, Rene, Simone, Udo, Viola!
Many thanks to Christoph Zwiener & Vincent Schier, Gianna Ehrke, Miłosz Szczęsny.

photo credits:
Miłosz Szczęsny