Flora + Ceramics = Landscape Legibility
Plants can reveal the historic human use of a place through phytoremediation. The way we, as humans, use land can have lasting impacts, in many cases modifying ecological structure and function. Through experience and exploration of these impacts, we can feel a closeness with our landscapes, strive for ways to live in balance with the environment, restore degradation, and foster a sustainable future.
Ceramics involves the application of heat to transform raw materials from the earth - clay, ash, metals, into hardened tactile forms. The fired result reflect the raw inputs as new forms, colors, patterns, and textures. To materialize landscape impact in ceramic form, flora from contrasting industrial and recreation sites near Malmö’s Öresund coast were collected, burnt to ash, and applied to porcelain tiles as glaze. The glazes consist of plants of the same family from active industrial sites of Hamnen, and recreational areas of Limhamn harbor and Sibbarp.
Each tile reveals variations between plant species and land use from the location it was growing; presenting a tactile expression of both local flora and landscape.
Sofie Berg is a ceramic artist, maker and landscape architect based in Malmö. Her ceramic studio Studio Berg is located at Båstadsgatan. Nina Safavi brings cartography, plants, and design together through her practice Zamin Studio. Their creative collaboration aims to connect people and landscapes through ceramics.
