Ethnobotanist Karol Szurdak is hosting a workshop on infusions, teas, and lotions that we’ll make from plants and herbs gathered from the site of KL Płaszów. The workshop proposes a new relationship to the earth of the concentration camp, one that challenges participants to care for the land and questions what uses of it might be possible (and which might go too far).
The site of KL Płaszów, in the Podgórze district of Kraków, is a former concentration camp site unlike most others: it exists today primarily as a public park and recreation area, with a smattering of monuments and markers of memory. The site’s use and misuse, the remembering and forgetting of its history, have preoccupied members of the FestivALT collective for years. Medicinal Plants of Płaszów is an experimental answer to the questions: “What forces of healing is the genocidal earth of Płaszów itself generating?” and “Is it possible to harness the power of that natural healing for social healing?” As it turns out, all manner of medicinal plants and herbs grow in the site.
During last year’s edition of FestivALT, Jason Francisco and Magda Rubenfeld worked with ethnobotanist Karol Szurdak and Miejski Ośrodek Pomocy Społecznej, a local social welfare center, to create a garden of Płaszów’s medicinal plants. The garden is an unusual place where difficult history, the strength of community, and the genocidal earth itself join to form a powerful experience.
We try to make our art accessible and affordable for everyone. To that end, to guarantee your spot for this event, you can reserve by donating an amount of your choice or none at all. Please make your reservation by clicking on the button below. You may also make your donation at the door.
Suggested donation 10zł. Limited space available, please book your place below:
FestivALT 2019 was made possible thanks to the financial support of: Dutch Jewish Humanitarian Fund, Asylum Arts, Hummus Amamamusi, European Jewish Fund.
