WÜST MI PFLANZ’N? (EXPERIMENTIER-WERKSTÄTTE)  

was created as part of the artist residency in Bad Ischl (AT). Over the course of four weeks, an experimental workshop of plants, sounds and texts was created, which grew in collaboration with the local population in the vacant building of the Lehartheater.

The focus was on Japanese knotweed, an invasive alien plant that is widespread in Bad Ischl. Invasive alien plants were introduced to other regions in/directly through humans since 1492. Although Japanese knotweed in particular was imported for popularity in the “wild garden”, it too has a negative connotation today because invasive alien plants “push native species away” and are extremely costly to remove. Language about these plants is often instrumentalized.

The experimental workshop opened its doors regularly and incorporated the experiences of interested people in the form of interviews, recordings, notes. A place for collective creation, discovery and observation of the work process of the collective OutSight emerged.

The installation could be explored in a participatory way. Different sounds were generated by touching the plants.

The composition “Pflanz’n” was performed three times in the same setting. The experimental arrangement functioned as an interactive radio play- sounds were triggered by touch. This included the conglomeration of statements, OutSights’ impressions, scientific or media articles, but also sounds from “adaptation” and “resistance”-rhythm, noise, electricity….