Pěstovat plevel, sklízet vichřici
| Title in English | GROWING WEEDS, HARVESTING A WHIRLWIND |
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| Authors | |
| Year of publication | 2023 |
| Type | Exposition |
| Citation | |
| Description | The title of the exhibition connects two seemingly paradoxical activities, namely the active maintenance of weeds – unproductive and traditionally undesirable plants – and the harvesting of the whirlwind, referring to the utilization of strong, usually destructive winds. How do weeds and whirlwinds connect with the ideas of ecofeminism? The metaphor of a plant that grows (even) against the will of its growers – often in places where it contradicts human preferences – unites artistic approaches that critically examine the dominant position of man in relation to his surroundings. Whether it is the systemic oppression of nature, women or any other marginalized groups . Similar to weeds, the exhibited works figuratively debate what is and what is not so-called normal and desirable, and who actually decides about it. Weeds can also be perceived positively, thanks to their positive effects that manifest themselves especially synergistically, i.e. in combination with other plants, which they help with their “accompaniment”, for example against drying out. The emphasis on interconnection and care, collective exploration and interspecies communication in relation to nature is another common feature of the currently presented artistic approaches. Just as it is impossible to clearly determine whether a weed is harmful or beneficial, the desire to avoid primary binary oppositions is also common to the ideas of ecofeminism. The aim is not to divide between man and woman, people and nature, natural and unnatural, etc., but to connect. In this sense, the exhibition Growing Weeds, Reaping the Storm also examines the possibilities of ecofeminism through the multiplicity of its manifestations – it views them from different perspectives and in terms of potential collaboration. The second part of the exhibition title, "Harvesting the Windstorm," reminds us with its urgency that there is something to fight for. It refers to the culture of protest and, together with some of the represented art projects, reminds us of the normative orders that still dominate and oppress not only women or nature in today's patriarchal society, but all the "offshoots" that make their own way even under the concrete. |