De Hoop, een nomadische tuin

Abstract

DE HOOP?

A Nomadic Garden

DE HOOP, a nomadic garden is a project by four artists (Katinka de Jonge, Laurens Mariën, Zoë Brennan and Marie Malingreau) who were invited by Werktank to organize a project in Sint Maartensdal.

The project began with the concept of a “city festival” and grew into the creation of a nomadic community garden, investigating how a pile of seeds, sand, water and sun can transform into French fries with mayonnaise. These are presented and eaten at the ‘harvest festival’ in St Maartensdal on the 21st of September 2022.

With this proposal, the artists aim to highlight the production chain of a very regular dish. Everything in the production process (yes, everything) is made by the artists themselves. From the potato and salt to the eggs, vinegar and the frying oil. Of course, they cannot do this alone. That is why they are asking for help from organizations and volunteers: to become part of the production chain and to grow with them the necessary plants in harvesting the yellow gold.

In doing so, they ask themselves the following questions: what would happen if the boundaries of a fenced-in piece of land were opened up to become shared land? How can we care for a piece of land collectively, and what does that care mean? Is it possible to really make the most famous Belgian dish yourself? And how estranged are we from our roots?