FOLK PHARMACY (guided tours
in nature)
Folk Pharmacy - an artistic
interpretation of the use of indoor and wild plants as food and folk medicine.
In this project, artists re-introduce to the audience the tradition of
plant-foraging, and invite them to turn these gifts of nature and their
knowledge of them into a useful source of energy.
Folk
Pharmacy is SERDE's outcome from the expedition in Kurzeme held in June 2010,
and is inspired by projects and
people around Herbologies/Foraging Network.
SERDE
Atmodas street 9, Aizpute, LV-3456
Moonshine
The moonshine workshop is an artistic interpretation about making strong drink at home.
Although the tradition of making moonshine is wrapped in secrecy, research has been done for several years to document the making of moonshine at home. Whether it is called kandža or one of the other names for it—ļerga, dzimtenīte, samogonka, ļurcis or brendiņš, its production at home is cultural and historical and belongs to the non-material cultural inheritance of the world.
Every skill which makes it possible to use available resources is of worth in our modern circumstances. For example, it is useful to know how to make your own spirits, which can be used to make herbal infusions for drinking or for external use.
We invite you to consider this tradition from a different point of view, not moralizing about the making of moonshine as a social evil, but as a way to discover the inexhaustible ingenuity of people to meet their needs in circumstances where resources are limited!
Authors:
Interdisciplinary Art Group SERDE
Signe Pucena, Uģis Pucens
Signe Pucena is artist and researcher of traditional culture
and culture projects manager. Uģis Pucens – artist, restaurateur and producer
of art and culture symposiums, festivals and exhibitions.
Signe and Uģis are co-founders of the interdisciplinary art group SERDE, which seeks to develop the regional and international collaboration between different culture fields, organizations and professionals.
In 2002 Signe and Uģis established The Residency and Workshop Centre SERDE in Aizpute. SERDE's main activities involve exchange between culture, science and education fields, including the hosting of residencies, seminars, lectures, presentations etc.
Since 2005 SERDE organizes various expeditions and fieldwork researches in the Latvian countryside, learning about the traditional cultural forms still existing in the contemporary age. Their creative and innovative approach to cultural heritage work with SERDE was recognised with the Latvian Folklore Grand Prize in 2007.
Signe and Uģis are co-founders of the interdisciplinary art group SERDE, which seeks to develop the regional and international collaboration between different culture fields, organizations and professionals.
In 2002 Signe and Uģis established The Residency and Workshop Centre SERDE in Aizpute. SERDE's main activities involve exchange between culture, science and education fields, including the hosting of residencies, seminars, lectures, presentations etc.
Since 2005 SERDE organizes various expeditions and fieldwork researches in the Latvian countryside, learning about the traditional cultural forms still existing in the contemporary age. Their creative and innovative approach to cultural heritage work with SERDE was recognised with the Latvian Folklore Grand Prize in 2007.
