Haenke x Designblok 2021
Plants Make People Happy. Kind Of
Friday 8 October, 16.30 CET | online
In the recent years, house plants have made a spectacular comeback to our interiors, and of course our Instagram feeds where they are often attributed all sorts of function from home decoration, air purifiers to mental health support. A popular hashtag online reads, plants make people happy. But do people make plants happy as well? What lies behind this global trend that got exploded during the covid pandemic into numbers even Google Trends couldn’t seize? What is the role of plants in interiors and how has this reflected in design throughout the years? Is there anything such as a sustainable house plant or are they just a by-product of colonialism? In this talk, we will discuss house plants with botanists, designers, and researchers whose practice reflects the kingdom of plants.
with guest speakers:
Laura Drouet, Olivier Lacrouts
,
studio d-o-t-s (Italy/France)
d-o-t-s is a nomadic research-led studio active in the field of editorial and curatorial production. Founded in 2014 by Laura Drouet [FR] and Olivier Lacrouts [IT/FR], the studio’s investigations focus on alternative social dynamics, off-the-record stories and experimental design perspectives. Defined by the participatory and interdisciplinary approach, d-o-t-s’ work ranges from writing and exhibition-making to educational workshops. Their latest project is Plant Fever, a touring exhibition (Museum für Gestaltung Zürich, 03.12.2021 - 03.04.2022), a manifesto and a book that question our relationship with the vegetal realm through design.
Miranda Janatka
,
BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine (United Kingdom)
Miranda trained at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. – initially as a Glasshouse trainee, diploma student and then was employed as a Botanical Horticulturist working in the Tropical Nursery – one of the world's most diverse plant collection, with everything from cacti to tropical orchids and many other rare plants in between. She currently writes the A-Z of houseplants features each month for BBC Gardeners' World Magazine as part of her role, sharing information and guidance on how to grow and care and propagate plants for your home.
Julia Löffler
,
HAW Hamburg
(Germany)
Julia is a communication design student at HAW Hamburg and also works as a freelance designer. In her work, I transfers artistic and scientific methods to applied projects. One of her recent projects, Exotic Plant Hunters is a photographic research and deals with the colonial heritage of western fascination for tropical plants.
“Monstera, Fiddle Leaf and Pilea are the stalky stars on social media. Owners call themselves »Plantparents« or »Plantfluencers«, and the »Houseplantclub«, which regularly shares photos of the most unusual plants, now has over a million followers. What most plantfluencers may not realize is that the homegrown »modern urban jungle« is part of a colonial tradition that developed in the 19th century through colonial exploitation and shipping. Plant hunters at the time gave the wealthy bourgeoisie access to exotic plants, which they acquired for a high price. Decorative greenery was elevated to a status symbol, as only those with sufficient time and property could afford houseplants at that time. They were presented to guests in the salon and became the new-fashioned prop in family photos or portraits.”
Michal Matlon
,
The Venetian Letter
(Slovakia)
Michal is an architecture psychologist with more than 10 years of multidisciplinary experience in technology, media and marketing. At theLivingCore, he helps to create places of flourishing and meaningful work, from offices to urban quarters. He is a passionate public speaker and writer, talking about the importance of building humane environments based on scientific knowledge. In the past, Michal worked at one of the largest and most innovative office and retail developers in Europe, where he developed the user experience strategy for the company´s buildings and established an internal education program. He is also a co-founder of the Venetian Letter - a monthly newsletter on humane architecture.