Past exhibitions

City vegetables

08.05.2014 - 02.11.2014

In recent years, countless urban gardening projects have sprung up around the world, allotment gardens are all the rage, and those who don't have a patch of land of their own plant their vegetables on their balcony. The exhibition "City Vegetables" at Mühlerama wants to know: What's behind this gardening craze? What vegetables grow in city gardens? And what about our seeds?

For decades, city dwellers have been growing vegetables in allotments and other gardens with the aim of providing themselves with food at low cost. Today, numerous "urban gardening" projects in large cities also pursue this goal.

To set the mood, some creative urban gardens from around the world will be featured.

In the main room, four amateur gardeners from Zurich have their say and proudly present their gardens. Their gardens are called: an allotment garden, a balcony garden, a school garden and a community garden. Reflecting on their gardens, the portrayed provide exciting insights into their personal realm.

Outside in the courtyard in front of Mühlerama are green raised beds with more than 50 vegetable plants, some of which are rare. An expert tells exciting stories about each variety via an audio guide. All of the numerous varieties can be grown easily by the visitors themselves.

In a mysteriously illuminated tent made of jute, it is about seeds and how this cultural heritage is gradually being completely dominated by giant corporations.

Imprint

Exhibition curators
Sibylle Gerber
Franziska Rüttimann
Carmen Stirnimann

Overall management
Franziska Rüttimann, Museum Mühlerama

Exhibition construction
Andreas Bommer

Graphics & publication, poster, flyer
Nora and Zuni Halpern

Design, scenography
Natalija Pocuca ortsofort
Mika Lanz

Text
Sibylle Gerber
Franziska Rüttimann
Carmen Stirnimann

Sound engineering
Martin Bezzola

Audio guides
Martina Jung and Konrad Sigl from Tweaklab

Concept and planting of the courtyard garden
Christine Odermatt, Zur Blüte
Elisabeth Schneeberger, Zurich Botanical Garden

Crate production
Company Kuhn, Oberglatt

Editing sound recordings and

Production audio guide
Martin Bezzola, Klanggestalter GmbH

City gardener portrait photos
Patrick Hari

Total costs
CHF 113`000

With the financial support of
Ernst Göhner Foundation
Fondation Sana
Parrotia Foundation
SV Foundation
Dr. Hans Vontobel
Walter Haefner Foundation
Hamasil Foundation
Corymbo Foundation
Migros Culture Percentage

We thank
Botanical Garden of the University of Zurich
Green City of Zurich
Berne Declaration
Pro Specie Rara
Sativa AG
All the city gardeners who have helped us
All the people who made themselves available for an interview