HotHouse Flowers

GENERAL INFO
- LOCATION
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Oslo Botanical Garden, BO (The Association of Visual Artists Oslo)
- DATE
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September 13–15, 2024
- TYPOLOGY
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Symposium
- Coordinated by
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Gabriel Alonso, Una Mathiesen Gjerde, Nikhil Vettukattil
- SPEAKERS
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Anneleen Kool, Karoline Kjesrud, Abuela & Collective (Francesca Imbrosciano, Teté, QOA, and Aurora Aven), Carmen Lael Hines and Roberto Majano, Belén Santillan, Ben Woodard.
Departing from current issues in ethobotanics, ecology, and the ecosophy of the Norwegian philosopher Arne Næss, the seminar questioned imagined binaries of nature and culture, plants and people. The program was comprised of various speakers from the above-mentioned fields, artistic and curatorial contributions, all dedicated to exploring human-plant relationships.
Hothouse Flowers was a continuation of the eponymous exhibition at Podium by the artists Nikhil Vettukattil and Gabriel Alonso, curated by Una Mathiesen Gjerde.
HotHouse Flowers was a three-day seminar held from September 13 to 15, 2024, co-organized by BO, The Association of Visual Artists Oslo; The Nordic People & Plant Project at the University of Oslo Botanical Garden; and The Institute of Postnatural Studies. The seminar was curated in conversation with the Director of The University of Oslo Botanical Garden, Prof. Anneleen Kool. Rooted in current debates in ethnobotany, ecology, and the ecosophy of Norwegian philosopher Arne Næss, the seminar challenged binary distinctions between nature and culture, plants and people. The program brought together a range of speakers, artists, and curators to explore the diverse and complex relationships between humans and plants.
HotHouse Flowers was a continuation of the eponymous exhibition at Podium by artists Nikhil Vettukattil and Gabriel Alonso, curated by Una Mathiesen Gjerde. The seminar itself was co-curated in conversation with Prof. Anneleen Kool, Director of the University of Oslo Botanical Garden.

Performance by Gabriel Alonso at the Victoria House of the Oslo Botanical Garden
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
Friday, September 13
Victoria Greenhouse, Oslo Botanical Garden
Performance by Gabriel Alonso
Welcome by curator Una Mathiesen Gjerde
Lecture: Plants and People: Rediscovering and Reviving Nordic Plant Traditions by Prof. Anneleen Kool
Lecture: Perceptions of Plants in the Past by Karoline Kjesrud
Talk: Postnatural Gardening as Strategy, an introduction to The Institute of Postnatural Studies by Gabriel Alonso
BO, The Association of Visual Artists Oslo (Loft)
Performative Dinner: Beneath the Watery Veil: A Ritual for the Forgotten Tides by Abuela & Collective (Francesca Imbrosciano, Teté, QOA, and Aurora Aven)
Saturday, September 14
Oslo Botanical Garden
Guided Tour with Prof. Anneleen Kool (meeting point: in front of Lids hus / the Botanical Museum)
BO, The Association of Visual Artists Oslo (Loft)
Conversation: Plant Pedagogies and Curation as Research with curators Carmen Lael Hines and Roberto Majano
Artist Presentation: A Quest for El Micro-Museo de las Plantas Migrantes by Belén Santillan
Lecture: Vines and Sand: Colonial Botany and Science Fiction by Ben Woodard
Sunday, September 15
Kunstnernes Hus Cinema
Screening Program:
Green in the Grooves by Tamara Henderson
Green Cemetery by Maurício Chades
The Harvest by Misho Antadze



CREDITS
- COLLABORATORS
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The Arts Council Norway, The Fritt Ord Foundation, The Bergesen Foundation, Oslo Municipality, Acción Cultural Española, and the Research Council of Norway.
- PHOTOS
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Abrakadabra Studio