THE SCOPE OF STORIES: TRACING VERNACULAR LANDSCAPES / Exhibition at
@blanco_platform curated by
@jonathandemaeyer
As part of the exhibition The Scope of Stories, the project Tracing the Roots of Colour: Dye, Food, and Ecological Narratives is a collaboration between myself and
@annelottel . The exhibition, gathers artists working between rural and urban contexts, with a focus on ecology, food, and human connection. Through fiction and documentary forms, it traces the many narratives rooted in vernacular landscapes.
Tracing the Roots of Colour originated in a 2023 workshop held at Kasteel Ter Beken, where first-year Textile Design students from
@luca.schoolofarts were invited to engage directly with the Dye Garden of campus Ter Beken. Working with plants such as woad, yarrow, sorrel, chamomile, Jerusalem artichoke, and rhubarb, students explored the plants’ symbolic, culinary, and historical meanings. They dyed textiles, prepared dishes like sorrel soup and rhubarb compote, and wrote short, plant-based stories, which were printed onto the dyed napkins. These elements culminated in a collective table scenography—shared through food and storytelling.
The project bridges Annelotte’s research into urban dye ecologies and the fragile layers of our natural landscapes with my exploration of memory, ancestral knowledge, migration, and cross-cultural food narratives. As presented within The Scope of Stories, it embodies an evolving dialogue between land, craft, and the stories we carry.
Student contributions by: Frida Luyckx, Sam McKendy, Ella Rogge, Ulrike Rutten, Juliette Stragier, Josefien Vandenborre, Anouck Vanraes, Marten Voets, Julie Boodt, Soetkin Claeys, Loes De Blieck, Simon De Bosscher, Fleur de Vries, Aytül Durmaz, Gloria Genoe, Cennet Kayaalp, Zsa-Zsa Leye.
Exhibition in coproduction with
@kunstenplatformplanb with the support of
@cultuurgent as part of the programmation of
@totindestad @viernulvier.gent @kunsthalgent
With
@jana_tmh @anastasiaeggers @julievankerckhoven @seasonalneighbours @erienwithouck @timtheo_rex @jana.joanna.m clairechassot
@cielgrommen @maximiliaanroyakkers
📸 Exhibition view
@jonathandemaeyer 
