'Stroomdalflora, kinderen van de bergen' is created for the IJsselbiënnale 2025 for the Vreugderijkerwaard in Zwolle.
These floodplains are part of Natura 2000 and are rich in 'stroomdalflora' - river valley flora. This group of plants is native to the alpine meadows of Switzerland. The seeds of these species were carried along by the river, making them to drift downstream and find their way into the delta. Due to glacial and fluvial sediments, river dunes and dikes have similar soil compositions as alpine meadows. This allowed the seeds to find a new home all the way at the end of the river system.
The work translates this journey into a large wickerwork of willows that echoes the shape and movements of the Rhine and some of its tributaries: our building plans were maps of the river. Floating on the willows are the seeds of the 'stroomdalflora', carried along as living sediment. They are made from local river clay from the IJssel and thus find their material origin in the mountains too. Seven species were chosen for the work, all of them both rare and native to the Vreugderijkerwaard: trip-madam (Sedum rupestre), yarrow broomrape (Orobanche purpurea), spring cinquefoil (Potentilla pusilla), burnet-saxifrage (Pimpinella saxifraga), quacking grass (Briza media), small burnet (Sanguisorba minor) and meadow sage (Salvia pratensis)
Many thanks to De Vlechterij for collaborating and advising on weaving the willows, and for bringing in all the naturally grown and managed material.
Thanks to K3Delta for letting me gather some IJssel clay.
Thanks to the IJsselbiënnale for this incredible opportunity.
