Experiencing the world: in connection with the plant world around you

Lobke Meekes’ life story takes in various stops along the way. After secondary school, she went on to teacher training and then art school. Once she had finished art school, she started out as an independent visual artist. “I like working to a commission or request. Often in public spaces. Alongside my more autonomous work, I do a lot in and for education: designing educational material, training cultural professionals and teachers in education. In doing so I try to give art and culture a place in education." 

Enquiring attitude

Lobke opted for the part-time Master course Education in Arts at ArtEZ in order to enrich her artistic practice. “The master course gave me the opportunity to critically investigate things I was already doing naturally. By studying literature and doing research." 

As a result of the master course, I started looking at what I do much more critically. I do the things I was already doing, but now in a much more considered way. With a better theoretical grounding.

The Education in Arts master course meant going into greater depth. “As a result of the master course, I started looking at my own work and working method much more critically. Choices I’d previously made more intuitively I am now better able to explain." The master course made her look more critically at all that is going on in the world, she explains. She already had an enquiring attitude and that has been stimulated further. “You always look at and approach the world from your own frame of reference, based on your own experiences. Where you grew up, the way you were brought up and the people around you determine how you see life. I'm aware of that, and therefore also of the fact that perception is always coloured and that, although I might wish it to be otherwise, this also produces blind spots." 

RituHEEL

Lobke wants to do something to change the world. Despite the fact that she, as she puts it herself, is only a small ‘component’ of a large whole. “The course appealed to me partly because of its socially engaged character." That is reflected in her graduation work ‘RituHEEL’, which is about experiencing a connection with the world around you – in particular the plant world. It comprises various artistic interventions, including Eenwoud, the workshop ‘Hello Plant!’ and Het Baarhuisje.  

Eenwoud

Eenwoud is a forest made up of descendants of trees nominated by people as being significant for them, which try to survive for 1000 years. Lobke designed it on commission for Studio Assisië. During the Eenwoud RituHEEL, the harvesting of the descendants was celebrated, and the parent tree was honoured. “The participants wrote a wish or message on an amulet that travels with the descendant to its new destination. The parent tree was honoured by tying a cord bearing the symbol of Eenwoud around it, so denoting that the tree is part of Eenwoud.” 

Hello Plant!

In the Terrestrial Workshop 'Hello Plant!’, Lobke and Irene Urrutia, Mexican-Canadian curator and researcher, challenged participants to investigate their relationship with plants and reimagine it based on questions and assignments. "How would you describe your relationship with house plants? – perhaps a strange question at first sight, but the conversations it prompted yielded great insights. For myself, but also for the participants." Participant Margarita: “Like all of a sudden she… or he started to exist in front of me. I talked to my plant and promised to take better care of her”. And participant George describes his basil plant as a real ‘drama queen’, because its leaves easily droop yet once it has had a drink of water it is soon back to its ‘old self’.

“I wasn't brought up myself with the idea that the plant world could be of equal value to ours”, says Lobke. “It was more like a decor, an environment through which we people move. Whereas we can also approach that world as something that is present, something we can contact – something alive! During my research, I noticed that when participants – like myself – became aware of the fact that the plant is alive, grows and perceives, that brings about a change. The plant seemed to transform from an object into a subject. A living being, a fellow resident of the Earth to be taken into account."

The discoveries and insights served as a catalyst for working together and tackling ecological problems through terrestrial action. The workshop was held on 22 April 2021, Earth Day, and was commissioned by ArtEZ Studium Generale. Ahead of the workshop, Irene and Lobke made the podcast 'How to be with plants'.

Baarhuisje

‘Het Baarhuisje’ is a mausoleum and storehouse for plant remains. Plant finds, such as a faded blossom or a piece of bark, are kept behind a transparent window in a one-person chapel. After several days, weeks or even months in Het Baarhuisje, the plant finds transform into humus. “Participants write and draw a final greeting after leaving the plant find. These parting greetings are visible in the side walls of the chapel. On the last day, the displayed plant pieces are scattered.”  

Through my work, I hope to generate awareness so that you experience the world as a large and complex system which you are also part of. 

Work in context

When Lobke works on commission, she starts by looking at the location first. “The location is crucial for what I make. What is the context, who are the audience, what takes place here? In short, before I devise a concept, I first research it thoroughly." So, what is ultimately realised is also a surprise to her. Lobke does make her work with a goal in mind: “Through my work, I hope to generate awareness so that you experience the world as a large and complex system which you are also part of." 

Astronaut's perspective

The overview effect, the way in which astronauts see the Earth from space, is a source of inspiration for her work. “Astronauts who have seen the Earth from space often return determined to protect nature. That feeling appears to be something lasting. So, I asked myself, if you experience a similar effect on earth, how long would it last? Is it permanent?” She thinks it would be interesting to explore this further in the future. And: is there a difference between cultures? “If you look at more Western oriented people, it is striking that we view the plant world, nature differently. In Eastern cultures, that world is much less alien to people. And might it have different effects at a later age if you have had a different type of contact with nature when you were young?”

All in all, as well as yielding insights related to research, RituHEEL, the finals project with which Lobke is completing the Education in Arts master course, has also given her work greater depth. And it has provided interesting new contacts – plus, new questions.

Discover more

Want to know more about Lobke and her work? Visit her website and have a look at her portfolio-page (in Dutch).