THE SEED EXHIBITION

EXHIBITION KATALOG

INTERACTIVE INSTALATION EXHIBITION

25.06.- 5.07. 2019, 14.00 -18.00
Vernissage: Di.25.06.2019 14.00
Haus Schuurman, Atellier Basement
Goetheanum, Rüttiweg 45, 4143 Dornach, So, Schweiz

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Exhibition by Cory Elisabeth Rose Holzinger
 

THE HANGING TREE

Tree, Rope
180x60x60cm
2019

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Nature is dead. But why? Did the young tree hang

itself out of despair, or are we hanging ourselves

by letting nature be thoughtlessly destroyed?

One wakes up to entire woods being cut down,

hectare-wise, every day. Just a small, lonely tree left

uprooted after the massacre. Is it still nature or are

we ourselves the hanging tree.

FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES

100 Wooden Crosses (ca.10x7cm)
On 100x100cm Wooden Panel
2019

One hundred crosses as a memorial and commemoration for more than 100 species going extinct every day.1 We are now amidst the sixth great extinction event over the course of the past 542 Million years. Most species are small and inconspicuous, we hardly know them, insects, amphibians and plants lost to oblivion through daily destruction of rainforests, pesticides, climate change or other causes. Yet, 81 mammal species have also gone extinct or most probably extinct since 1500. Currently, 27 % of all recorded species (among them 40 % of Amphibians and 25 % of mammals) continue to be on the red list of endangered species of IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) 2019, with rising tendency.2 Research suggests that natural “background” extinction frequency is as low as 0.8 species per year. Anthropogenic causes are estimated to increase this number 1000 to 10.000- fold.3

Material:
Wood for the crosses comes from a small forest in Dornach (Switzerland), which was destroyed to make way for construction. Months afterwards, a gaping emptiness stares where magical diversity once thrived beneath the old trees.

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1 Joachim Spangenberg, interviewt von Mario Dobovisek: Genetische Vielfalt ist ganz entscheidend für unser Überleben.
In: Interview, dradio.de, 29. Dezember 2011.     2 IUCN Red List
3 De Vos, Jurriaan M., et al. „Estimating the normal background rate of species extinction.“ Conservation biology 29.2 (2015): 452-462.

GENTLENESS

Clay Sculpture 18x10x5cm
with dead Bumblebee
2019

Modeled from Clay, out of the earth, is a human hand,
gentle, merciful and protective. As mother nature
protects and nurtures humans all the same. The hand is
holding a fragile dead Bumblebee. A sight enabling the
realization to take care of the smallest, the weakest,
the seemingly unimportant, out of love for variety and
the deep truth that every single one has its role and
importance. For the first time in history the future of
nature, of living and dying lies in human hands.

THE LAST MEAL

Acryl on Paper
300x100 cm
2019

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A vision of tranquility, forest and human. Inspired by

the “Last Supper” by Domenico Ghirlandaio, in San Marco,

Florence, IT, the last supper is here given a different symbolism.

A forest, eleven trees (symbolizing the apostels/nature) at the

long table which is set with fruits from a rich harvest. A vast,

protective tree in the center (symbolizing Christ/lifeforce).

Opposite the table is a human (symbolizing Judas/humanity),

sitting on a tree stump  - he cut of his roots, unconcious of his

connection to nature. Even if Nature is providing everything mankind

needs to live and thrive. Yet he takes greedily, inconsiderate and excessive.

He reaches into the fruit bowl, while a butterfly lands on the apple,

and thereby betrays life itself.

THE SEED

Circle shaped plane of soil 300x300cm
Seed variety, Garden fleece
2019

“Take off your shoes, you are on holy ground…”
An interactive installation made of a soil circle surrounded by long veil curtains separating the inner from the outer space. Visitors have to pass through the
sensitive protective, seemingly organic membrane and walk barefoot over fertile soil to reach the center, where they find the seed. The seed, a symbol for potential
and resurrection. The seed, when planted undergoes a metamorphic process to bear new life. As main and last part of the exhibition it offers the possibility to
take action and responsibility for the future. A symbol for planting habitat, keeping variety, and becoming aware of the connected rhythm and balance of our
ecosystem. It uplifts the bleak impressions of the other exhibits and enables the observers to become active. The visitors, after reaching the heart of the soil circle can choose from a variety of seeds, trees, fruits or biodynamic vegetables, crops and beans, all with growing descriptions, and fill a small flowerpot with soil
to take with them.

Instructions:
Take off your shoes, you are on holy ground. Walk barefoot over the fertile soil, feel the power of the earth. In the middle you find seeds – feel how they are longing for the dark earth to unveil their slumbering potential. Will you take responsibility for new life?