An arboretum is not simply a living collection of trees and shrubs with stories about the collection of knowledge regarding nature plants and trees; it is also a symbol of colonial exploitation.
For the 12th edition of Beelden op de Berg (summer 2024), entitled Heksenkruid – decolonising botany ( Witchweed – decolonising botany) Kathrin Schlegel delved into historical images of and texts about the Wageningense Berg. She was moved by its rich nature, by the Holleweg and its significance as a trade route, by legends about matriarchal cultures, priestesses, a sanctuary and the remains of a Christian chapel. Christianity has contributed to a worldview in which humankind stands above nature. She developed a monumental wood carving in the form of an aureola or sunburst.
The design was inspired by 18th-century halos that adorn the bodies or heads of saintly figures in churches and illustrious private collections. In contrast to Christian iconography, however, the artist omits the human figure and let the work frame a branch high up in a tree – in order to declare nature itself ‘sacred’, as it were. Through the work Wat verbeelden wij ons (which can be loosely understood as ‘How do we imagine the future?’, or, as Dutch biologist and philosopher Matthijs Schouten asks “who do we think we are?”, Kathrin Schlegel intends to challenge the notion of ‘mankind’ considering itself to be ‘the crowning glory of creation’ in Western and Christian thought. Both form and text harbour an invitation to contemplate and reconsider humankind’s position in the world and to move away from the devastating idea of ruling exception towards equal and reciprocal relatedness. The work appeals to the patriarchal Christian ego in which some humans see themselves as superior creatures, positioned high above the realm of nature. The artist was triggered by the idea of an imaginary "interzijn" (interbeing), a mutual and complementary rapprochement between nature, culture, form and content.
Installed on age-old trees close to the Holleweg, the work creates a place of tranquillity where it could be felt how various cultures and religions have used this road to the Rhine river as a key North-South trade route and a shallow river crossing, from Roman times and early Christianity until deep into the Middle Ages, and how relations between humans and nature have developed over time, affected by various (religious) influences.
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Wat verbeelden wij ons