The wedding between art and agriculture
A documentary about KULTIVATOR, an experimental cooperation of organic farming and visual art practice, situated in rural village Dyestad, on the island of Öland, Sweden.
In the summer of 2010 Kultivator initiated The Wedding Between Art and Agriculture, an artist conference and public ceremony which intended to unite the two ancient activities. The film shows the preparation process before the wedding ceremony – with flashbacks to a variety of agricultural and social projects that Kultivator have initiated, and thus gives a glimpse into the experimental and idealistic world of Kultivator.
22 – 24th July 2010
Two ancient human activities will solemnly marry during a three-day wedding in the farm of Kultivator on Öland, Sweden, in this summer. The first two days involve a group of 20 especially invited people that work with the preparations. The last day, 24th July, the public is welcome to attend the ceremony and participate in the celebration that precedes and follows Art and Agriculture will be put together, asked to condition themselves to each other and with the marriage go into a steady relationship. Cultural involvement in the development of future systems for food production is not about using a few creative minds to improve details of the whole. It is about making food production and farming a part of public awareness and knowledge. It is about sharing and discussing necessary decisions for the future openly and commonly. It is about enabling people to take active part in building systems and processing experience – through art + agriculture.
For five years, the experimental platform Kultivator has initiated, attended to- and executed projects that examines the context and cross-fertilization between agriculture and art. In these often international activities Kultivator have encountered a growing number of organizations and individuals involved in this field. A selected group of those are now gathering on the farm in Dyestad. They will during two days jointly prepare a suitable ritual, festivity and discussion topics fitting this historical association. The wedding is a transparent, public manifestation, but also the formal creation of a network between related organizations and individuals. The wedding has been prepared during a three month long exhibition in Kalmar art museum, and a review (in Swedish) can be read here:
http://kultivator.net//images/dn.jpg
Organizations participating in Dyestad are:
Plataforma Rural, Fernando Garcia, SP, My Villages, Wapke Feenstra, Serde, Signe Pucena, Ugis Pucena,
Grizedale Arts, Adam Sutherland, The Australian A & A ACRE Network, Ian Tully, AU, Kalmar Art Museum, Inger Stjerna SE, Fiona Woods, Louise Lövmo, People’s University, SE, Helle Kvamme, Yellowbox
Gijs Frieling, / NL, Andrew Paterson, SCO , Erik Sjödin, SE, Benn Sena da Silva, DK, Randy Albright, U.S. / P, Thomas Bagge, DK, Mia Sloth Moller, DK
Those invited will include wedding speech, in which they formulate the possible opportunities and challenges this new relationship is facing. They will also in consultation with Kultivator design ceremony itself, which is therefore up to the date itself is unknown. We will during the day, before the ceremony, have workshops in: Vodka production in Latvian style, Cook and taste the future of fast food, Sketch out a dream farm, and also have talk sessions with the invited organizations. The International village shop by My Villages and Wapke Feenstra also opens up in our farm shop.
Brief information about the artists who have done special work to the wedding:
Gijs Frieling, NL (director W139, winner of the Prix de Rome, an associate professor at Rijksacademie Amsterdam, etc, etc) in Falu red mural of a purpose-built outdoor kitchen to the wedding.
Benn Sena da Silva, DK (utb. Warsaw Academy of Fine Arts, Rietveld Academy) One of the farm’s tractors painted in Delft blue porcelain.
Andrew Paterson, SCO (Andrew Paterson Gryf artist-organizing, Educator, Cultural producer, and independent researcher, based in Helsinki, Finland.) Clipkino Events Art and Agriculture.
Fiona Woods infrared (MA Art in the Contemporary World NCAD Dublin, Ireland) Showing and working on collaborative trans-european network for local production.
Michel Bussien SE “Sheep Lawn Mower” an application for Sheep.
Mathieu Vrijman GB / NL (founder Kultivator, Rietveld Academy) work on the show and the work “Camp” that will entertain the wedding guests, discussion groups and audiences in the wedding, and rebuilt as a remake of the camp from the television series MASH.
Marlene Lindmark SE (State Kunsthöyskole, Oslo) Make a dinner set for the wedding dinner with ornaments of over 200 parts second hand china.
Wapke Feenstra, NL; My Villages, shows “The international village shop with
Erik Sjödin SE. Shows his work “Super Meal” that is centered around growing, eating and cooking the super plant Azolla, also shown at Färgfabriken summer of 2010.
Sisters of Sättra SE Radical sewing circles, Öland; draft before the wedding dress of silage plastic.
Ingegerd Peterson, Loom with barbed wire