Volkshortus Selwerd

esidents of Selwerd with green thumbs or the desire to develop them can visit Volkshortus Selwerd. Volkshortus is a greenhouse and meeting place in the heart of the neighborhood conceived by artists Saskia Janssen and George Korsmit. Inside the greenhouse grows a plant collection curated by residents, representing the diversity of the community (with 80 nationalities). This way, in the course of 2023, a portrait of the neighborhood in the form of plants is taking shape.

The inspiration for this art project stemmed from the neighborhood revitalization efforts in Selwerd. Local residents collaborated on an art commission facilitated by Kunstpunt Groningen. Project leader Nicoline Wijnja explains, “What’s beautiful about Volkshortus Selwerd is that it brings people together in a very accessible way. This also happens through workshops led by artists and other creative individuals from the community. We see that people get excited about it; meeting each other, cultivating plants together, and hearing each other’s stories through the plants. During the neighborhood revitalization, when much is changing, and residents temporarily move elsewhere, this is especially important.”

EDUCATION PROJECT

Kunstpunt has developed an educational program specifically for children from the neighborhood. A tactile experience, using hands to feel, takes center stage. Students can create their own plant artworks and mold pots, among other activities. “It’s just fun to be hands-on,” says one of the children. The underlying idea of the program is to represent people’s stories through plants and art, which is also central to Volkshortus.

“This neighborhood project offers us an excellent opportunity to engage with the children in Selwerd through visual arts,” says Tynke Boomsma, education project leader at Kunstpunt. “We’re introducing all students to Volkshortus at no cost. Additionally, we wanted to do something with them that isn’t always done in the classroom. That’s why we chose to work with clay. Just like gardening in the greenhouse, it involves a lot of hands-on feeling.”