It all started with a walk through the city. For plants, the city is a tough place to grow in. The few areas where plants (and its fauna) are allowed are constantly monitored. They have to look a certain way, mark destined places, and not grow out of control. The concept of nature in densely built city scapes ranges from decorative flower pots to urban gardens to much needed shade and air coolers in the summertime. Inspecting the greenery in both public and private space in and around Vienna resulted in a diary of Eco Prints.
Eco Printing is a plant-based printing technique. By boiling, pounding or pressing a plant (its leaves, stems, seeds etc.), one can transfer the shape and colour on fabric or paper. The technique used for the Eco Printing the City project is called Flower Pounding.
Eco Prints are prints with natural colours that will fade over time (sunlight, heat etc.), quite contrary to the commonplace radiance of synthetic dyes. Thus, Eco Printing touches on ephemerality, on fragility as much as on plant life, on living in sensitive environments.
Eco Printing the City tells the story of 18 places in and around Vienna, both of socio-cultural and biographical relevance.
List of places (sorted by date):
Mönchsberg, Salzburg (21.05.22) – starting handicraft and textile studies.
Zwidemu, Vienna (24.05.22) – public meeting place, tourism during day-time, raves at night.
Bertha-Zuckerkandl-Weg, Vienna (26.05.22) – street name dedicated to famous writer and salonnière, Bertha Zuckerkandl, 9th district.
Augarten, Vienna (26.05.22) – public park with flak tower from WW2, space for remembrance and recovery.
Löhrgasse 19, courtyard, Vienna (28.05.22) – former residence, film set of my first short film Of Flowers and Weeds.
Wild im West Flohmarkt, Vienna (28.05.22) – flea market on a vacant lot.
Innenhof MQ, AzW, Vienna (30.05.22) – workplace, meeting place, MuseumsQuartier.
Hausgarten, Am Sonnberg 1, Aspach (03.06.22) – growing up.
T-Center St. Marx, Vienna (08.06.22) – architectural sculpture by Günther Domenig, via AzW.
Ehem. Ziegeleigründe Wienerberg, Vienna (11.06.22) – exploitation at former brick yard, recreation today.
Wildblumenstreifen, Schillerplatz, Vienna (20.06.22) – political decisions to boost urban biodiversity.
Blumenstrauß, Müllnergasse 16, Vienna (20.06.22) – leftovers of a bouquet at my new residency.
IKL, Karl-Schweighofer-Gasse3, Vienna (20.06.22) – place of study.
Diana-Budisavljevic-Park, Vienna (21.06.22) – street name dedicated to famous resistance fighter Diana Budisavljevic, 9th district.
Ruster Buch, Rust (26.06.22) – a weekend full of discussions about the vulnerable region Neusiedlersee.
Volksgarten, Vienna (27.06.22) – monument of the first Viennese Democratic Women’s Union.
Postsparkasse, Vienna (04.07.22) – meeting place for guided city tours, architectural landmark.
Learning Center, Zaha-Hadid, WU, Vienna (17.08.22) – architect and teacher Zaha Hadid, CAD vs built reality.
Archives of present 