Exhibition 'Plantiarchy' in Marres, House for Contemporary Culture
During the exhibition Plantiarchy, the house of Marres will be transformed into a world where plants reign supreme. In the exhibition, the world is literally turned into complete disorder, with an enormous forest that grows upside down in all of the rooms. The two floors of the house reveal the double life that plants lead (above and below ground). Also on view is the (pseudo) scientific documentary The Plantiarchy, which reveals the history, present and future of a fictional, invasive plant species. Plants experience time differently than humans, they do not age genetically and can be in different places simultaneously by spreading their pollen and seeds and intertwining their roots.
The exhibition was developed by the newly formed artist collective Sunflower Soup, which opposes the idea that humans dominate nature as independently functioning beings. While Sunflower Soup comprises six core members, the exhibition itself is a result of collaboration among a diverse range of individuals: school children, the elderly, climate activists, nature experts, people experiencing poverty, volunteers, hobbyists, and refugees. Together, they invite us to perceive the plant world from a fresh perspective. Simultaneously, they voice their protest against the individualistic nature of the art world. In Plantiarchy, everyone is a creator, and nobody is boss.
