How political plants can be?
Photographer Flo Maak deliberately chose Pepper House Kochi for his bangaloREsidency in order to study and document the sea and land from as close to nature as possible. With a few words and evocative images, he allows a brief insight into his experience and colourful everyday life in Bangalore and Kochi.
I deliberately formulated my artistic project for the bangaloREsidency in an open manner, because I hadn't been to India before and didn't know what to expect. While at first I was broadly interested in the worldwideweb of the oceans and the deep entanglement of nature and culture in it, I focused my research on so-called invasive species in the coastal region around Kochi. The discussion about these and the relationship between “native” and "alien” species is intensifying worldwide in the wake of climate change and changing ecosystems. A general fear of the foreign, and racist stereotypes, regularly fuel these discussions. After three weeks, I have seen and learned a lot, among other things that the tropical flora and fauna in Kerala differs so much from the more familiar situation in Europe due to greater biodiversity alone. There is much less concern here about newcomers, but rather attentive observation and careful management where necessary. A much bigger issue with regard to climate change is the threat of land loss due to rising sea levels.
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Arriving in Bangalore, I was particularly impressed by the KR Flower Market with its intense colors and smells.
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In Kochi, besides the humid heat, it was above all the smell of the sea and fish, but also of the waste water in the canals between the houses, that shaped my first impression.
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I am fascinated by all the animals that don't live behind bars or on a leash, but are right in the middle of it.
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My original idea was to insert myself as a creature of the mud into the diverse network of relationships between animals, humans and plants.
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„untitled“
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„untitled“
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That was probably a very naïve idea, so far I've been looking at it in amazement, while still searching for my role.
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In the course of my research, I came across a plant that is known in Germany as Siamkraut (siam weed) and also grows there. In Kerala, it was accidentally introduced in the 1940s, spread quickly and got the name “communist pacha”. Pacha means green in Malayalam.
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A much more conspicuous invasive species, which repeatedly causes great problems for local fishermen after the monsoon season, because it clogs their nets, is the aquatic plant which can be seen in the lower left corner of this picture. It was probably introduced by the British during colonial times - because it blooms so beautifully.
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A much more conspicuous invasive species, which repeatedly causes great problems for local fishermen after the monsoon season, because it clogs their nets, is the aquatic plant which can be seen in the lower left corner of this picture. It was probably introduced by the British during colonial times - because it blooms so beautifully.
