On December 7, the opening of the exhibition “Gardening of Soul: Introduction” took place at House of Arts, Ústi nad Labem, Czech Republic. The exhibition is the first outcome of the international collaboration Gardening of Soul: In Five Chapters, in which Skaftfell participates alongside eight other institutions from Austria, Croatia, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, South Africa, Ukraine and USA. The project is led by the House of Arts in Ústi nad Labem.
Skaftfell co-curated two installations for this exhibition, one presenting Tvísöngur (Lukas Kuhne, 2012), and one presenting Hafnargarður Community Garden (2012-ongoing). Both artworks are located in Seyðisfjörður.
“Using documentary formats or reinstallations, the exhibition presents artworks that were primarily conceived for public space and actively responded to the social situation influencing, determining or developing the character of a particular site and the quality of its use by the community. These art projects are intrinsically inspired by the desire to build imaginary gardens understood as places of shared responsibility and determination, to transform the neglected and decaying into thriving and sustainable ones.“ (excerpt from the press release)
For more information about the Gardening of Soul project please visit:
https://archive.skaftfell.is/en/projects/gardening-of-soul-in-five-chapters/
