IKEBANA –Plant Series VIII

A kinaesthetic inter-species composition

If you want to learn about pines, you must learn from the pines. (Bashõ 1644-94)
Ikebana accepts the temporary nature of things and recognizes man’s place in the cycle of nature. The method of arranging the flowers indicates a change in time; man’s ability to face the present moment and future challenges. Where a tree species takes a thousand years to climb over a mountain, the human conception of time is at best a few hundred years. The performance is multi-species and features both plants and humans. The performance is thus also aimed at plants that can attend a performance for free with a paying human. How often do you take your favourite plants to the theatre?

The performance challenges the viewer to relinquish the requirement of being separate from the rest of nature and invites the experiencer to face otherness. Plants and dancers strive for a connection that unleashes the inner aesthetic forces in the plant through different states, postures and stills. In-depth knowledge of plants may be crucial to the continuity of humanity.

The sound design of the performance is created together with the plants by transforming plants' biological functions into human audibility. After the performance, the audience will have the opportunity to play the plants at the Fern Orchestra Plant Jam Session.

#everythingbutphotosynthesisisinvain

Income from the ticket sales of the performance is used to buy forest for preservation as a carbon sink. One can choose between four categories: observer, conscious, influencer and active. The ticket price includes the Turku public transport ticket, which is valid on the day of the performance three hours before and two hours after the performance.

Fern Orchestra is a collective of artists and scientists working with plants and microorganisms, creating pieces, which address relationships between light, humans and the environment. Collective work covers multiple art forms such as performance art, contemporary dance, publications and light and sound art. Previous performance Mareld was seen at the Turku City Theatre in the autumn of 2020. The performance was awarded the VALOSÄDE honourable mention for inter-species lighting design.

Working Group:
Markus Heino, Vespa Laine, Samuel Salminen, Ilona Salonen, Kalle Suominen, Maileena Vaajoensuu and plants

Collaboration: Fern Orchestra, Regional Dance Centre of Western Finland and Turku City Theatre.

Premiere 30.3.2022 @ Turku City Theatre