Grove 2.0, Chapel of Wild Wisdom

For the outdoor exhibition Disruption: Remapping Nature, Griepink has designed a garden in and around a dome-shaped greenhouse, inspired by both druidic ritual gatherings and the permaculture movement. Since ancient time, wise (wo-)men of the woods have come together to learn from Mother Nature, meeting in forest clearings that were considered sacred in pre-christian cultures and later.

The outdoor installation functions as both a greenhouse for (local) herbs & poisons as well as a space for meditation and self-reflection. The dome, made of branches, wood and sheets of plastic, contains varieties of wild plants found at park De Oude Warande (Tilburg, NL). Seeds have been sown, cuttings planted, paths and seats created. The artist promises that this special space in the woodlands will evolve organically throughout the course of the exhibition and will also host several meditation groups.

Grove 2.0, Chapel of Wild Wisdom deliberately creates a cross-pollination between ancient paganism and the modern reassessment of ecological awareness by making the statement of employing a greenhouse as a sacred meeting place. Like Griepink's whole oeuvre, the project is in line with many modern tendencies to re-install a balanced and intimate relationship between humans and the earth, which according to the artist is an ongoing re-vamping of our ancient matriarchal nature path moving through the undercroft of capitalism like a Deep Green Virus.

Special thanks to: Dale Pendell and his animation of Wild Wisdom.





The Grove is open daily from June 24 until the end of September, 2017. Check here for more information.
On 2 September, a ceremonial gathering will occur as part of the performance event Brief Encounters '17.

Show includes: Lionel Estève (FR), Sven Fritz (NL), Paul Geelen (NL), Henrik Håkansson (SE), Antti Laitinen (FI), Zeger Reyers (NL), Martin Schwenk (DE), Egied Simons (NL), Maarten Vanden Eynde (BE), Donna Huanca (US) and Vincent Olinet (FR).





Grove 2.0 in Metropolis M (magazine) :







Text by: Manon Braat and I.
Photo: Liedeke Kruk (1,2), Gert Jan van Rooij (3), Instagram Users (4) and Domeniek Ruyters (5,6,7)
Thank you: Lustwarande -- Platform for Contemporary Sculpture, Sieger Duinkerken, Pinar&Viola for the Logo Design below, Wiseguys -- Urban Art Projects, Jonmar Vlijmen and also Marleen, Esther, Jan, Tommy and the Douglas trees and the woodland critters. Also, I would to thank the sponsors of de Lustwarande 2017 and CBK Rotterdam and the Mondriaan Fund for initial support in my research year leading up to Grove 2.0. Thank you!

Buy a Green Man T-Shirt here.