On Water & Plants – 20 Artistic Positions on Sustainability
Kunsthalle Rostock
October 1—November 27, 2022



download press release [english] [german]
download newspaper [PDF]

Artists:
Eva & Adele, Germany / Francisco de Almeida, Brazil / Birgit Brenner, Germany / Caetano Dias, Brazil / Jaider Esbell, Brazil / José Gomes, Brazil / Yuan Gong, China/England / HAP Grieshaber, Germany / Rhys Himsworth, England/Germany / Sandra Vásquez de la Horra / Chile/Germany / Han Seok Hyun, South Korea / Ingar Krauss, Germany / Anna McCarthy, Germany / Giacomo Orth, Germany / Jina Park, South Korea/Germany / Veronika Pfaffinger, Germany / Luzia Simons, Brazil/Germany / Vivan Sundaram, India / Armarinhos Teixeira, Brazil / Thomas Wrede, Germany

Curator: Tereza de Arruda

In cooperation with the Botanical Garden of the University of Rostock, the Kunsthalle Rostock is realizing an interdisciplinary exhibition project in which scientific research and art enter into dialogue. Starting from the premise that water is the sine qua non for the existence of organic life, this project aims to strengthen the adequate use and appreciation of natural resources and wants to shed light on future potential adaptation strategies to climate change.

The focus of this exhibition is the study of “resurrection plants” that grow on rocks, especially in the tropics. These plants are able to survive long periods in a desiccated state. Botanists from Rostock (working group of Prof. Dr Stefan Porembski) research these desiccation-tolerant plants in Africa, Asia and South America. The goal is to transfer this ability to crop plants to make them more resistant to droughts. Due to human-induced climate change. Plants with lower water requirements will also play a greater role in urban habitats in the future. Scientists and artists currently accompany this scenario and the associated future global demands on humanity, as well as the development of adaptation and solution strategies, and they will continue to do so in the future. Bodies of water drying out or wildfires will only be a few of the visible impacts that the predicted shortage of available water will have on the environment.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, the imitation of nature played a major role in artistic representations whereas contemporary art is concerned with reproducing reality to illustrate current issues and as a guide to a more sustainable lifestyle in order to preserve the natural resources earth, air and water for future generations. The curator of the exhibition, Tereza de Arruda, invited 20 international artists whose artistic oeuvres deal with nature, natural elements and their symbiosis with humanity. They represent different cultures and ethnicities that, in their essence, follow a certain spirituality, mythology and methodology in their interaction with nature. The exhibited works are comprised of installations, objects, paintings, drawings, photographies, NFT’s, Video installations and site-specific works by Eva & Adele, Francisco de Almeida, Birgit Brenner, Caetano Dias, Jaider Esbell, José Gomes, Yuan Gong, HAP Grieshaber, Rhys Himsworth, Sandra Vásquez de la Horra, Han Seok Hyun, Ingar Krauss, Anna McCarthy, Giacomo Orth, Jina Park, Veronika Pfaffinger, Luzia Simons, Vivan Sundaram, Armarinhos Teixeira and Thomas Wrede.

Through a residency program, exhibitions and campaigns in the Kunsthalle Rostock as well as in the Botanical Garden Rostock, a dynamic and experimental platform will be created. Together with the Institute for Biosciences at the University of Rostock, artists and scientists will initiate an exchange of research, experiences and ambitions in the form of guided tours and discussions.

Art in the Botanical Garden Rostock
The works of Armarinhos Teixeira proposes to identify areas in need of protection and conservation studies, linked to the emerging biomes and morphology. This is the intention of the sculpture Biological Station, installed in the Botanical Garden of the Rostock University, which will serve as a rescue station for local flora and fauna in the coming years. This will lead to the establishment of a human-made biological institution for the protection of biodiversity in the wake of nature. Lade – Instituto Iadê de Arte e Design and ORION-E Sustainable Energy made the realization of this project possible from São Paulo, Brazil.

Publication
For this project, an exhibition newspaper will be released.


Kunsthalle Rostock [visit website]
Hamburger Straße 40, 18069 Rostock
Exhibition period: October 1–November 27, 2022