Gabriella Presnal: Meadow Pods

Pop-up Exhibition

Who gets to celebrate, how do we celebrate, and what are the implications of our festivities? How do they weave themselves into our environments, daily habits, and our memories?

The tenth Summer Artist

The summer artist has consisted of studio work, participatory workshops, and public events that have created space for hopes, dreams, and concrete actions to benefit the local environment.

During the summer, Presnal has carried out the Meadow Pods art project, which consists of several hollow, hanging sculptures filled with meadow seeds. Along with the artist, the local community was also invited to destroy the sculptures, releasing the seeds into the environment for everyone to enjoy. Presnal has presented her work at Provinssi and at Taidehalli’s performance club. The sculptures are modeled after native seeds and are made of biocomposite, an organic material collected by the local community. The Itikanmäki neighborhood has been collecting eggshells and coffee grounds for the artist throughout the month of July. Local bakeries have also participated in the collection effort. Staff from the department of Cultural Services have been collecting eggshells all summer as well. Thank you to everyone who participated, and welcome to view the exhibition!

Breaking Seremony thursday 20.8. at 5.30 pm

The project has been influenced by multiple celebrations that involve breaking, cracking, or smashing. Especially by Mexican piñatas, but similarly, the Greek Orthodox Botides, the Chinese folk ritual “whipping the spring cattle” (dǎ chūnniú), and the foraged flowers of midsummer, which are believed to aid in dreaming of future love. Many celebrate renewal, harvests, growth, and ecological rhythms.

The Meadow Pods sculptures will be broken by participants hitting them with sticks, causing the meadow seeds to fall to the ground. This act continues a festive tradition: it carries the hope for a better climate as the seeds take root in the local environment.