Where are the worlds that flowers long for? Local Memorial Fest,
Bródno Sculpture Park, Warsaw, 22.07.2023
in collaboration with Frajda Natychmiast and Kacper Szalecki
Nostalgia, longing, grief are a vehicle that takes us back in time. When the future doesn't look promising, it's easy to lose ourselves in memories to experience solace, if only for a moment. The title of the event was taken from Boleslaw Lesmian's poem The Enchanted Garden. The piece tells the story of an eternal garden - a border place where life meets death and reality meets dream.
In the area of today's Bródno Sculpture Park, there used to be allotment gardens, which is recalled to this day by fruit trees growing in some places in the park. Looking at the alley of old, twisted apple trees, we can imagine the allotment plots, flower or planting beds that once existed here. Paying tribute to the plants, which, as silent observers, "remember" more, we will make them the protagonists of the Local Memorial Festival. Focusing on their perseverance and persistence, we will try to look at the world from their perspective. What worlds do the titular flowers long for? Are we able to imagine them?
The program:
4:00 pm
Quiz with seedlings
A significant part of Bródno is occupied by a cemetery, which is a special place of remembrance. Wanting to " plant the seed" of reflection on various forms of commemoration, we invite you to create a garden together near the Tea House. Together we will plant plants that symbolically refer to the passing of time and memory; they are part of the cycles of nature, while being an affirmation of life. We invite you to participate in a plant quiz with a series of questions; each plant guessed will gain the name of a person participating in our game.
6:30 pm
Kiedyś to było - a reminiscence meeting with residents of Bródno.
During this event, in a relaxed lounging atmosphere over a glass of lemonade, we will share memories related to Bródno and the closest surroundings of the park. We encourage you to bring old photographs with you, which will serve as a starting point for the stories we will tell.
7:30 pm
The story of two flowers growing on opposite banks of the river - theater play.
The play is telling the legend of two settlements divided by the river flowing between them, and the two flowers Daisy and Dandelion, who as narrators report the turbulent lives of the inhabitants and residents of the settlements, but also take an active part in resolving the great crisis on both banks. The entire performance takes the form of a fairy tale, in which dragons and magic intersect with the prose of life. The performance is accompanied by elements of choreography and music. The role of flowers are played by Frajda Natychmiast and Kacper Szalecki.
9:00 pm
Pamiętasz była jesień - the saddest karaoke.
At the end of the fest we invite you to the saddest karaoke. Let's sing together songs from a set of popular songs that speak of loss, memory and what is irrevocably gone. The collective dimension of karaoke can serve as a tube for experiencing loss together. It may not be the cheeriest topic, but who among us doesn't have some experience with it? For that, experience in singing is not required at all. As we know, during karaoke there is no better or worse. The saddest playlist includes a lot of Polish golden classics, but there are also foreign hits. Let's relive the traumas singing and together!
Photos Wojtek Kaniewski
Bródno Sculpture Park, Warsaw, 22.07.2023
in collaboration with Frajda Natychmiast and Kacper Szalecki
Nostalgia, longing, grief are a vehicle that takes us back in time. When the future doesn't look promising, it's easy to lose ourselves in memories to experience solace, if only for a moment. The title of the event was taken from Boleslaw Lesmian's poem The Enchanted Garden. The piece tells the story of an eternal garden - a border place where life meets death and reality meets dream.
In the area of today's Bródno Sculpture Park, there used to be allotment gardens, which is recalled to this day by fruit trees growing in some places in the park. Looking at the alley of old, twisted apple trees, we can imagine the allotment plots, flower or planting beds that once existed here. Paying tribute to the plants, which, as silent observers, "remember" more, we will make them the protagonists of the Local Memorial Festival. Focusing on their perseverance and persistence, we will try to look at the world from their perspective. What worlds do the titular flowers long for? Are we able to imagine them?
The program:
4:00 pm
Quiz with seedlings
A significant part of Bródno is occupied by a cemetery, which is a special place of remembrance. Wanting to " plant the seed" of reflection on various forms of commemoration, we invite you to create a garden together near the Tea House. Together we will plant plants that symbolically refer to the passing of time and memory; they are part of the cycles of nature, while being an affirmation of life. We invite you to participate in a plant quiz with a series of questions; each plant guessed will gain the name of a person participating in our game.
6:30 pm
Kiedyś to było - a reminiscence meeting with residents of Bródno.
During this event, in a relaxed lounging atmosphere over a glass of lemonade, we will share memories related to Bródno and the closest surroundings of the park. We encourage you to bring old photographs with you, which will serve as a starting point for the stories we will tell.
7:30 pm
The story of two flowers growing on opposite banks of the river - theater play.
The play is telling the legend of two settlements divided by the river flowing between them, and the two flowers Daisy and Dandelion, who as narrators report the turbulent lives of the inhabitants and residents of the settlements, but also take an active part in resolving the great crisis on both banks. The entire performance takes the form of a fairy tale, in which dragons and magic intersect with the prose of life. The performance is accompanied by elements of choreography and music. The role of flowers are played by Frajda Natychmiast and Kacper Szalecki.
9:00 pm
Pamiętasz była jesień - the saddest karaoke.
At the end of the fest we invite you to the saddest karaoke. Let's sing together songs from a set of popular songs that speak of loss, memory and what is irrevocably gone. The collective dimension of karaoke can serve as a tube for experiencing loss together. It may not be the cheeriest topic, but who among us doesn't have some experience with it? For that, experience in singing is not required at all. As we know, during karaoke there is no better or worse. The saddest playlist includes a lot of Polish golden classics, but there are also foreign hits. Let's relive the traumas singing and together!
Photos Wojtek Kaniewski