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Photo: Stefan Altenburger Photography, Zurich.

Parliament of Plants II exhibition takes place at the Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein in Vaduz, Liechtenstein from May 5 to October 22, 2023, featuring the artwork "Atmospheric Forest" by Latvian artists Rasa Smite and Raitis Smits, and a new four-video installation "Plants_Intelligence. Learning like a Plant" created as a result of the research project in collaboration with Yvonne Volkart, Felipe Castelblanco, Julia Mensch, Rasa Smite.

The Parliament of Plants exhibition (2020-21) brought attention to significant issues facing society today. Continuing this discussion, “Parliament of Plants II” exhibition gives plants a voice. It testifies to a new view of these beings, which are inextricably linked with our own survival. Over the past few decades, there has been a paradigm shift in the scientific community's perception of plants, which is reflected in the exhibition’s artworks. 

The Parliament of Plants II exhibition will open on May 4th at 17:30 (CET) at Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein, with a concert by artist Miki Yui. At 18:30 (CET), there will be speeches from a panel of distinguished speakers including Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein director Letizia Ragaglia, chief curator Christiane Meyer-Stoll, co-curator Hans-Jörg Rheinberger, head of ETH’s Collection of Prints and Drawings Linda Schädler, head of Research IAGN at HGK Basel FHNW Yvonne Volkart, and co-curator Annett Höland.

Parliament of Plants II showcases the principle of symbiosis as a societal counter-image to the parasitic treatment of nature. The exhibition sheds light on new insights into the world of plants, Indigenous cultures, colonial and contemporary history, resource management, and our perception of time. The central question is how to achieve a symbiotic coexistence in which human and non-human beings can learn from each other.

The exhibition's main themes are based on Michel Serres' Natural Contract and Lynn Margulis' theory of symbiosis. Two "raised stands" present these themes, and the exhibition is co-curated by molecular biologist and historian of science Hans-Jörg Rheinberger, in partnership with Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein, curated by Christiane Meyer-Stoll.

The following artists are participating in the exhibition: Polly Apfelbaum, Ursula Biemann, Anna Hilti, Alevtina Kakhidze, Jochen Lempert, Rivane Neuenschwander & Mariana Lacerda, Uriel Orlow, Silke Schatz, Thomas Struth, Athena Vida, Miki Yui, and Zheng Bo.

The exhibition includes two insert expositions, a project space in the side-light gallery and a wide range of further collaborations and cooperations:

Insert I features a research project “Politics of Plants”. „Politics of Plants“, presented in the form of an exhibition within the exhibition. The focus is on drawing boundaries, questioning the attributes of the self and the other, asking whether nature or culture is the dominant force, while taking into consideration economic interests, speculation and the geopolitical dimensions of natural resources. Exhibition curated by Linda Schädler from ETH's Prints and Drawings Collection in Zurich, featuring art works by Mireille Gros, Matthew Day Jackson, Monica Ursina Jäger, Daniela Keiser, Pascal Schwaighofer, Melanie Smith, and Sebastian Utzni.

Read more about the project here

Insert II features the artwork "Atmospheric Forest" by Rasa Smite and Raitis Smits. “Atmospheric Forest” visualizes the complex relations between a forest, climate change and the atmosphere. It is an outcome of a three-year artistic research project on Pfynwald, an ancient Alpine coniferous forest. The exhibition alongside "Atmospheric Forest" will also include a new research project “Plants_Intelligence. Learning like a Plant”, focusing on negotiating the discourse of plant intelligence in the natural sciences, the humanities, and the arts. It explores the conceptualization of intelligence and its intertwining with concepts such as mind, consciousness, communication, memory, decision making, problem solving, learning, subjectivity. It asks whether this conceptualization makes sense of the behaviors of vegetal life and whether it promotes new perspectives on interspecies and terrestrial relationships. Project developed at the Institute Art Gender Nature, Academy of Art and Design FHNW in collaboration with Yvonne Volkart, Rasa Smite, Felipe Castelblanco and Julia Mensch.

Read more about the project here

The Project Space will showcase the Parliament of Plants II, curated by Annett Höland, and features a range of regional figures committed to nature conservation. The side-light gallery showcases examples of different habitats, aiming to present ways to create a better balance between humans and nature. The exhibition also poses the question of whether it is possible to grant plants legal rights.

 

More information:
https://kunstmuseum.li/index.php?page=&aid=545&lan=en 

The exhibition is supported by Mario Broggi;  Pop-up gardens in Vaduz: School classes with the project ‘Vadoz summt', the museum’s art education team, Damiano Curschellas and Piero Good; Nicolas Humbert; IG Netzwerk Biodiversität; Liechtensteinische Gesellschaft für Umweltschutz; Liechtenstein-Institut; Liechtenstein School of Architecture – «Pro Bono» Projekt der Studenten | students’ project with Luis Friedmann, Noah Laternser, Luca Strimmer; Maurice Maggi; Verein Feldfreunde and others.

CONTACTS

rixc@rixc.org

+371 67228478 (office)

+371 26546776 (Rasa Smite)