The Buried Archive
Workshop FORMAT
Are we independent from the nature when we talk about our fysical and emotional well being? Herbalism is a primitive survival tactic that evolved into a fascinating and multifaceted knowledge system. It first emerged from the observation of animal behaviors. Over time, humans have been able to identify the plants animals would eat when they were sick, map their medicinal properties, cultivation techniques, transform them into potions and healing rituals.
Time capsule
During this workshop we will design and bury in the garden of Z33 a collective time capsule containing a collection of stories of plant-based remedies, objects, bio-artefacts and transcription of rituals, based on Flemish herbal traditions and our modern-day experiences.
Herbalism
Even though herbalism is the oldest form of medicine, this practice is now disappearing, replaced by industrial and chemical-based health substitutes, threatened by increasingly restrictive regulations on plants and the decline of biodiversity. These new technological and social paradigms have deeply changed our health habits, the way our bodies relate to Nature, creating a gap between communities and their local ecocultural landscapes. Then how can we preserve and share the legacy of herbal medicine for future generations, before it’s too late?