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European Regional Development Fund
European Regional Development Fund

PLANTS FOR CULTURAL PLANNING

Our local demonstrator project in Guldborgsund, Denmark has so far involved 650 children and youngsters in various and, mainly artist-driven projects, under the HERE WHERE WE LIVE title. One project is initiated by the visual artist Camilla Berner and 50 visual art students from the 7th and 8th grades, based in the local school ‘Østerbroskolen’.

They have made an exhibition that shows the students’ ideas for plants to be included in the new urban space FREEDOM. Each student has made a small poster with a photo of the chosen plant, a description of the plant, and a story about why they have chosen this particular plant.

The art project by Camilla Berner started with the students exploring the place where FREEDOM is to be established during 2021 (it’s on a large green lawn behind the new Østerbroskole). For now, it is still hard to imagine the green lawn will look completely different in a year – with a new ‘landscape’, living areas with tables and benches, a playground, space for sports activities, etc.

plants, guldborgsund, denmark, cultural planning, urbcultural, here where we live, camilla berner

To get known with the space and to get an insight into the nature that is already in place, the students collected as many different plant species as possible. Each class made a ‘herbarium’ and also worked with different aesthetic / artistic reproductions of plants (self-portraits with ‘bouquets’, hand-painted blue silhouettes, sketches etc.).

plants, guldborgsund, denmark, cultural planning, urbcultural, here where we live, camilla berner

The students also created dialogue-postcards with questions such as ‘Which plant do you associate with your childhood?’ or ‘If you were a plant which one would you be?’. The postcards, the students stories connected with the chosen plants etc. will be used as ‘dialogue-tool’ addressing other locals in the neighborhood – with a certain focus on the local nursing home and the older generation.

plants, guldborgsund, denmark, cultural planning, urbcultural, here where we live, camilla berner

Camilla Berner and the architects will continue working on the urban space FREEDOM to implement the ideas from students and other locals when choosing trees and other plants in the new urban space. The realization and communication of the project also gained support from the Danish Arts Foundation.

Artist Camilla Berner is interested in nature, sustainability and in creating personal stories about and relationships with nature. Discover more at: https://www.camillaberner.dk/