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.

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