Marina Pugina is a Co-Walker in WAP and curator in residence at BKN Jan-Nov 2023.
All my curatorial practice in BKN has been connected to care and hospitality.
During collective art walks as a part of WAP, I tried to be attentive and not miss any mushrooms on our way. At times, it looked like a game of hide and seek and many artists joined in.
It is important to note that Björkö is a birch island, rich in birch and birch mushrooms. Mushrooms and birch trees have a special symbiotic relationship: they help each other survive in harsh conditions. So local gifts of nature became metaphors of our collective walk experience.
We baked a pie based on my grandmother's recipe, who loved to bake because homemade pies have a great potential to bring close people together. I feel stronger this way and can maintain the broken link between generations.
Cooking and eating together is also an important part of my artistic practice. It is a process of handling and digesting the knowledge and experiences gained together.
