Exhibition celebrates decay and confusion in garden, art and design

An artistic research project exhibition entitled ‘From Sowing Confusion to Gathering Knowledge’ opened in the Palm House of the Tallinn Botanic Garden. In this exhibition, designer Marta Konovalov and artist Jane Remm present knowledge gathered from the confusion sown in their gardens and the Sensory Garden of the botanical garden during the autumn-winter season. Participants are welcome to attend seed exchanges, workshops and seminars.

“A garden is a place for gathering knowledge,” said the authors of the exhibition. “A place where physical labour turns into a ritual, where we engage in dialogue with other species. Here, the artist and designer are sustainable gardeners.”

Since October, the boxes in the centre of Tallinn Botanic Garden’s Garden of Senses were dedicated to deterioration, regeneration and disorderly aesthetics. As part of the Estonian Academy of Arts artistic research project ‘Artists and designers as researchers, re-thinkers and partners with nature in the context of de-growth’, designer Marta Konovalov and artist Jane Remm experimented with shifting the typical ways of gardening practices through gardening, nature-based observation and minimal intervention, looking for ways to connect with nature in the garden.

They sowed chaos in the Garden of Senses and observed the natural process of plant decay. They saw that what is typically deemed unnecessary, such as weeds, can be a useful resource. Using art and design methods, they documented the process and, through small interventions, produced shifts to create nature-based aesthetics, which were often disorderly, interwoven and decaying. These processes, featuring visualised thought processes in dialogue, are exhibited in the artistic research exhibition in the Palm House of the Botanical Garden until 14 March 2024.

As part of the exhibition, a seed exchange point ‘Sowing Chaos’ will be opened. Gardeners are invited to exchange seeds from their own garden flowers and culinary herbs. The seed exchange will be available throughout the exhibition.

At the exhibition, two workshops will take place: ‘The Beauty of Decay: Plant Patterns on Textile and Traces on Paper’

On 21 January from 11:30 to 13:30, Jane Remm will introduce plant drawing as a method for deepening your connection with yourself, plants and your interpersonal relationships. Registration is available via the following link https://bit.ly/hääbumiseilu

On 28 January from 13:00 to 15:00, Marta Konovalov will teach felting worn textiles with yarn dyed from plants. Registration is available via the following link https://bit.ly/hääbumiseilu

In addition, two expert seminars will take place:

On 4 February, Tiia Morfin will introduce the collection and sowing of heirloom seeds.

On 15 March, Marian Nummert will discuss sustainable gardening.

Marta Konovalov is a designer, lecturer and doctoral candidate at the Estonian Academy of Arts. Marta Konovalov’s creative practice centres on textile repair and regeneration. She understands fashion as a way of making, and consumerism and production as a system that needs to be redesigned and repaired. www.taasloome.ee

Jane Remm is an artist, art teacher and doctoral candidate at the Estonian Academy of Arts. Jane Remm’s creative practice focuses on the representation of experiences of nature and collaboration and communication between life forms. www.janeremm.ee

Tallinn Botanic Garden is a scientific, educational and cultural institution whose activities are focused on the protection and presentation of the plant kingdom. https://botaanikaaed.ee

The artistic research project of the Estonian Academy of Arts entitled ‘Artists and designers as researchers, re-thinkers and partners with nature in the context of de-growth’ (1 July 2023 – 31 December 2024) aims to create and develop artistic research methods for engaging with nature, propagate the idea of intentionally doing less in the field of art and design and, through this, contribute to the promotion of de-growth thinking, the improvement of natural science knowledge and the importance of inter-species collaboration. Funding: The Estonian Ministry of Culture. https://www.artun.ee/segaduse-kulvist-teadmiste-korjeni/