Herbologies/Foraging Networks

Photos: ©© Windowfarms, Annemie Maes, Ossi Kakko, poster: Ulla Taipale

The ‘Herbologies/Foraging Networks’ programme of events, focused in Helsinki (Finland) and Kurzeme region of Latvia, explores the cultural traditions and knowledge of herbs, edible and medicinal plants, within the contemporary context of online networks, open information-sharing, biological and hydroponic technologies. See the entire programme.

The traditions of finding and knowing about wild food in the local Nordic environment are slipping away from the current generation. How can one attract their attention: With books, online maps, workshops, mobile-guided tours, open-source information or DNA code? Or learn how to grow them yourself, over the dark winter months? The Pixelache Festival events introduce the different meeting points between the three collaborating partners, include presentations by international artists and Finnish botanical experts; workshops sharing that knowledge with the public in Botanical Garden of Helsinki; a round-table discussion about foraging in the urban context; a manifestation of the ‘WindowFarms’ project by Britta Riley and Rebecca Bray(US) that will be built and exhibited in the Takaikkuna of Kiasma, the Museum of contemporary art of Helsinki.

Following, in a pre-midsummer expedition to rural Rucava in Kurzeme, Western Latvia, SERDE Interdisciplinary Art Group will lead fieldwork to learn about the cultural heritage of Balts using wild plants, and create documents for the younger ‘digital native’ generation. These events are organised as a collaboration between Andrew Paterson (SCO/FI), Ulla Taipale/Capsula (FI/ES) and Signe Pucena/SERDE (LV). The project is supported by KulturKontakt Nord, AVEK, and Austrian Embassy in Helsinki. The Botanical Garden of Helsinki University is a collaborating and incubating the Windowfarms plants in their greenhouses.