A SOFT LANDING & THE IMPORTANCE OF THE UNKNOWN
We start May by sharing some recent thoughts and contributions on the unknowability of nature, fermentational curation, and some useful resources for designing green exhibitions.
Istanbul’s Medicinal Plants Garden
A contribution to A Soft Landing
Image: Margot Drayson (picture of the Istanbul Biennal), A Soft Landing (screenshot of their website)
With our contribution to A Soft Landing, we invite you to a small throwback to the 17th Istanbul Biennial with its opening at the Zeytinburnu Medicinal Plants Garden and its focus on slow, fermentational programming and curation.
“Rather than being a great tree, laden with sweet, ripe fruit, this biennial seeks to learn from the birds’ flight, from the once teeming seas, from the earth’s slow chemistry of renewal and nourishment.” Istanbul Biennial
The Biennial's events, exhibitions, and installations were dispersed throughout Istanbul in widely different venues. Through stimulating conversations and observations, the curatorial team hoped that such configuration would allow the 'seeding' of ideas and perspectives, carriers of slow but gradual and active change within various spatial and cultural locations of Istanbul.
The Zeytinburnu Medicinal Plants Garden in Istanbul garden cultivates and studies the healing, health, and spiritual benefits of medicinal plants. As the site of the event-inauguration of the Biennial, it allowed and encouraged interaction and play with the plants and the designed landscape.
A Soft Landing is a project by artist Sam Williams. Website by Nate van der Ende. Initiated as part of Axisweb micro-commission 2021. Contribution by Margot Drayson.
The Importance of the Unknown
A new article on the VILLA VILLA blog
Image: paper card by Stefanie Hessler, Maude Johnson, Camille Georgeson-Usher, Himali Singh Soin, curators of the 17th MOMENTA Bienniale de l'image, "Sensing Nature", 2021
“If we accept the unknown and the unknowability of nature, we accept that we cannot control it. [...] And the unknown would not inspire the need to control, but curiosity, wonder and appreciation.”
In a new article on our blog, Jule Kurbjeweit asks if we can accept the unknowability of nature and how we can enter into a different relationship with the more-than-human world, based not on domination but rather on awe.
What you might also enjoy reading
A short list of recommendations:
✨ Presented by E-WERK Luckenwalde, LUMA Arles and Rupert, the sustainable institution residency is an opportunity for artists to produce new material solutions in the fight against climate change (20,000€ + studio + mentoring).
✨ A new Sustainable Cultural Production Toolkit was the outcome of Futuring Research Team’s environmental audit of Slovenia’s 27th Ljubljana Design Biennale Super Vernaculars exhibition (an excellent resource for museums on green exhibitions).
✨ Downloadable Design Museum - Environmental Impact Guide for designing exhibitions with a lower environmental impact (another similarly great resource).
✨ New Gallery Climate Coalition - Decarbonisation Action Plan for non-profits and institutions including decarbonisation strategy, waste management and further guidance on ethical sponsorship, climate control, etc.