PRESENTATIONS AND DISCUSSIONS

// 13.00: Introduction to full Herbologies/Foraging Networks programme

// 13:15: *Cultural Heritage* theme // duration 45 mins

Signe Pucena (LV): Herbs and cultural heritage, Baltic expeditions -project

Interdisciplinary Art Group SERDE’s artistic research approach combines ethnographic interviews and intangible cultural heritage studies and with performative cultural production, and self-published cultural heritage booklets. This presentation will share early research in relation to the living traditions of herbs- gathering, preparing and using in Latvia. Pucena has found published materials in medical and pharmacy books, but little which combines the herbal recipies with the stories about the people who keep the tradition alive. Pucena will also introduce the midsummer Baltic expedition which SERDE will organise as part of the ‘Herbologies/Foraging Networks’ programme, open for a limited number of people to join.

Kultivator (SE): The Wedding between Art and Agriculture

As an experimental platform, Kultivator has the last five years initiated, and participated in a number of projects, exhibitions, conferences etc, where the connection between art and agriculture is explored. A network of practitioners in this field is about to take shape, and a need of a critical discourse that raises the ethical, historical and political aspects of this line of work. As an answer to this, Kultivator will arrange a meeting at their farm on Öland, and give it the form of a wedding. In their talk Malin and Mathieu will share the preparations and mapping, and connect to the question posed by Herbologies/Foraging Networks programme on whether it is possible to reconnect to traditional knowledge through contemporary information sharing, by doing the opposite; using traditional ceremonial forms to build new networks and share information.

// 14.00: *Urban Space* theme // duration 1hr 15 mins

Christina Stadlbauer (AT/BE): Honey foraging in urban environments

Parking lot daisies, green-roof-apple-trees, balcony-tomatoes – all you can eat for city-bees! The presence of honeybees beneficially influences conservation of floral species and encourages city inhabitants to re-nature their lives by greening backyards and terraces. Urban apiaries boost the city’s agricultural productivity and provide deliciously divers honey with characteristic city-scape tastes.  An exploration on how bees connect to local vegetal and animal wildlife and alter the experience of urban public spaces altogether.

Dyykkaus Round table featuring Sirpa Kurppa, Nina Nordström and Jessica Suni (all FI)

Kolme eri näkökulmaa, jotka valottavat pääkaupunkiseudun virallisia ja epävirallisia ruoanjakeluketjuja ja elintarvikkeiden kulkureittejä, dyykkaajien urbaania ruo´ankeräilyä ja asioiden syy- ja seuraussuhteita. Mitä johtopäätöksiä voidaan tehdä samalla viikolla dyykatusta ruokatavaravalikoimasta, joka on näyttelyssä paneelin aikana?

Three different viewpoints about Helsinki region’s official and unofficial food-distribution chains, the itineraries of provisions, the reasons and consequencies of urban foraging done by dumpster-divers. What conclusions can be made of assortment of dumster-dived food, exhibited in Kiasma during the panel discussion?

Discussion in Finnish with projected English text ‘side-channel’.

// 15.15: Break for 15 mins

// 15.30: *Information & Sharing* theme // duration 1hr 30 mins

Andrew Gryf Paterson (SCO/FI): Foraging networks online

In many places, and especially Northern Europe and North American, online maps and information-sharing are democratising, maintaining, and challenging the traditional thresholds of who knows what about a local environment. Do they help in finding and knowing about wild or domestic food, where it grows, its use or production, indeed its accessibility to glean, gather or pick? Andrew applies his online foraging skills to uncover a variety of different projects and platforms encountered exploring the ‘Foraging Networks’ theme. In online and on-ground landscapes of every-person’s right to access, how much (food, energy, nutrients, information, common-good) can we share?

Ossi Kakko (FI): Intellectual property and Biopiracy

Intellectual property is understood as patents, copyrights, licenses and trademarks. Biopiracy refers to unauthorized commercial exploitation or misappropriation of biological resources and associated traditional knowledge and culture from indigenous peoples and local communities. This issue was for first time globally addressed by Convention on Biodiversity (CBD) in 1992 with an expectation that ‘bioprospecting’ (search for biological resources) implies a prior informed consent and must result benefit sharing between the biodiverse countries and prospecting companies. Since then 2/3 of the world has been calling for a single legally binding international agreement on the issue with recognition of governance also for local communities and regional bodies. These negotiations are currently going on in Cartagena, Colombia. In his talk Ossi Kakko will explore the different mindsets behind the negotiations and how these are reflected in contexts of human societies, world trade and destruction of our planet.

Sinikka Piippo (FI): Mielen ja kehon kuntoa kasveilla / Health of mind and body with herbs

Sinikka tells about how to use plants to improve the health of both body and mind. The adaptogens, herbs that heal the body and mind as the whole are dealt with, as well as stimulating and relaxing herbs, and plants that release anxiety, depression, insomnia. Plants that improve memory and cognitive functions and lessen the risk of dementia are also covered. Plants that affect the mind and body are medicinal plants, herbs, spices, ordinary food plants and e.g. berries with their high antioxidant capacity. The lecture deals with the plants from Finland but also those from abroad but sold here.