The Impossible Forest

The ‘Impossible Forest’ is a new community/public garden project situated in concrete parking to of the Uferstudios in (center for contemporary dance). This project is initiated by Jared Gradinger in the frame of Tanznacht 2016, supported by Tanzfabrik and the Uferstudios and with the generous support and the help from you.

This ‘Impossible Forest’ is a community/artistic/social/garden project intended to bring much needed green life and blossoming energy to the Uferstudios’ cement grounds and the neighbourhood of Wedding where it will be situated. We will create a new green living space for the artists/students working in the complex as well as the neighbors who often pass through the concrete parking lot. This garden space wants to bring people together; for the creation process and of course, for the over all enjoyment of simply watching a garden grow. We have invited artists working in the school and the studios, as well as neighbours, newcomers (refugees), and the greater community of Berlin, to help with the creation and implementation of the garden. This needs to be a team effort.

The ‘Impossible Forest’ is 35 X 6 meters and is made up of 13 (already dead) trees that will create the structure for the garden. Normally forest floors don't host a wide variety of plant life due to the energy the trees need for them to grow. However, in the Impossible Forest, the floor will be covered with wildflowers, local plant life, and garden flowers mixed with the luscious forest greens of mosses and ferns. Each tree will be the host for a unique vine (trumpet flower, zucchini, ivy etc.) that will grow up it, creating shade and its own unique ecosystem. The garden will also be covered with alternative grasses that will be able to be walked and laid upon. We will create birdhouses/feeders to bring in new bird life as well as focus on flowers that will bring us bees and other pollinating insects; with the intention to create a beehive on one of the buildings on the grounds in the near future.

The garden is a meditation on blossoming and decay. The space will be used for meetings, picnicking, performance, mediation, learning… We will create a path to walk through and spaces for sitting down and relaxing. This is a permanent garden and will continue to grow and decay in surprising ways.

And for all of this, we need your financial and energetic support in order to finance and grow this green space. Because this project falls in between installation, garden, and social art it has been difficult for us to acquire funds.

So this is where you come in.

We need your support to buy stones to place on the concrete and the earth to cover the stones. We need to buy plants, seeds, flowers and stones to be placed in the garden. We need shovels and gloves and a new hose for its preparation and care. We also need to finance the trees. Each tree costs roughly 1000 euro to be felled, delivered, and placed into the ground. A hole will be dug out of the concrete for each tree and it will be supported by concrete.

We are creating an adoption program for the trees. You can adopt a single tree for 1000 euro and as a thanks, we will carve your name into a tree like lovers of yesteryear. It is also possible for people to come together and make a new kind of family to adopt a tree. We will create a commemorative booklet documenting the process and the people who help and offer their support.

0€ Contact me or Tanzfabrik to get your hands dirty in the garden

10+€ Come to enjoy the garden!

100+€ we will carve your name on 'the log' in the garden to honor your support + a pdf of the documentation of the process and its supporters

250-499€ co-parent. your name will be carved in a tree with up to 9 other co-parents + a printed version of documentation of the process and its supporters

500-999€ co-parent. your name will be carved in a tree with another co-parent + a printed version of documentation of the process and its supporters

1000€ and up adopt your own tree and have your name carved in as a thank you + a printed version of documentation of the process and its supporters

If it's not possible for you to donate money but you still want to help, you can contact me or the Tanzfabrik and we will invite you to get your hands dirty and create the actual garden. There is A LOT of work to be done.

For all supporters we will have an official opening of the garden at the end of August at the TANZNACHT

Because this project is under the umbrella of Tanzfabrik all donations are tax deductible. A receipt will be issued upon request. If you wish contact Barbara under [email protected] with your name, address, donation amount and donation date.

Please support us in any way you can in order to bring this unique living space to life.

www.jaredgradinger.com

www.tanzfabrik-berlin.de

www.tanznachtberlin.de

www.uferstudios.com