AB IN DIE BOTANIK, 2021
Exhibition contribution to „Das Wesen Pflanze in der Zukunft“ / ‘the being plant in the future’ K3,
Pischelsdorf
Installation with 121 flags, each 32 x 32 cm
screenprint on linen cloth
„Ab in die Botanik“ is an Austrian phrase used when someone goes to relieve themselves outside. On the occasion of the exhibition „the being plant in the future“ I reflected on the role of plants in daily private life.
I quickly realized that many phrases of plant origin are deeply rooted in our language. Besides terms and sayings that likely originate from times when people fought daily against wind, weather, and animal rivals for food, there are several expressions that describe preciousness and luxury, such as roses and flowers.
Many interhuman affairs are proverbially expressed „through the flower.“
Due to digitalization, people are increasingly distanced from nature. More and more time is spent in virtual worlds, and knowledge about plants is visibly lost. At the same time, knowledge is stored in the cloud, making it theoretically accessible to everyone.
In the work „AB IN DIE BOTANIK,“ the QR code replaces the readable text. Scanning the codes leads directly to my homepage, where the corresponding texts can be accessed. The QR codes make the information unreadable on-site, and the required scanning complicates access. Only those who are technologically adept, can afford mobile internet, and have reception can retrieve the information.
For the web texts, a font based on the typeface of the computer game MINECRAFT is used. The flags of the installation follow the binary tradition of black and white 0/1. Each of the 121 flags carries its own QR code, linking to the associated website.
The collection has now grown to 130 aphorisms and is constantly being expanded.
