Healing Plants for Hurt Landscapes (artist's book)

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Healing Plants for Hurt Landscapes (artist’s book)

This artist’s book is the result of Herbarium Cataplasma, a twofold community art project that Laurence Aëgerter developed at the invitation of the city of Leeuwarden in Friesland, the Netherlands.

Aëgerter led a careful reconstruction of the plan of the medicinal garden of the medieval Abbey of Saint Gall on an unused plot of land in Leeuwarden, which was once part of a convent. This project was realized in collaboration with the local residents.

Aëgerter also invited the residents for a symbolical healing ritual of destroyed landscapes. She selected 100 images by searching the web for photographs of disasters created by nature and man throughout the world.
Participants were invited to treat the photographs of destroyed landscapes with the medicinal plants from their newly built garden, with appropriate herbal therapies (e.g. cannabis for anxiety relief or ginger against pain from burns).

As the source images were mainly used as news photographs, Aëgerter’s book relates to a newspaper design.

Order Healing Plants for Hurt Landscapes (edition: 1000 books, price: € 40 + shipping costs; special edition with a numbered and signed photograph, edition: 50, price: € 180 + shipping cost)

The research, proces and results of Herbarium Cataplasma are gathered on the blog Herbarium Cataplasma

Credits

Writings

Bonus

A large library of books on the medicinal use of plants was at the disposition of the participants of the workshops ‘Healing Plants for Hurt Landscapes’.
Here below some of their spontaneous notes collected in the process:

“Achillea millefolium: protection against harmful influences and stimulance for the acceptance of the unavoidable.”

“Rosa Gallica: Martyrship and pure belief.”

“Valeriana officinalis: calming and used against shock.”

“Sanguisorba officinalis: styptic, a herb found at the playground of the Oldegalileën: analgesic and embolding.”

“Cichorium intybus: Healing of mental wounds. Life enfolds itself at it’s own pace and balance.”

“Palestine with hart reinforcing, three color Violaceae for mercy, love for the “enemy” who resides in the same oppressive position.”

“Foeniculum vulgare: pain killing and soothing. The thick stem and delicate twigs embold to keep a strait back and to stay enforced.”