Through planting projects in indoor and outdoor spaces, as well as through precise drawings, installations, and objects, Gabriela Oberkofler (*1975, Bolzano, IT) explores the fragile connections between ecosystems and social structures. Her works also address the transformation of natural and cultural landscapes in a variety of ways …

With the “Laboratory of an Orchard Meadow” in Limbach-Oberfrohna, Oberkofler transfers the approaches developed in the periphery into urban public space. In raised beds on an intervention site, forgotten crops from the artist’s personal seed archive thrive alongside historic apple varieties whose utility has been called into question by industrial agriculture. Her artistic practice instills confidence in the possibility of a reconciliation between humanity and nature, between the past and the future—supported by a network of various participants, such as, in this case, students from the neighboring Goethe Elementary School in Limbach-Oberfrohna. Oberkofler’s work invites us to act consciously, to reflect, to care in practical ways, and, not least, to discover the beauty and transformation of plant life.
(Text: Alexander Ochs / Ulrike Pennewitz)

LABOR EINER STREUOBSTWIESE IS A PROJECT BY PURPLE PATH (CURATOR: ALEXANDER OCHS) CHEMNITZ 2025 EUROPEAN CAPITAL OF CULTURE

In cooperation with: GELEBTER NACHBARSCHAFT:

Neighbors planted, tended, and celebrated apple trees in over 600 varieties. Together, they did this through planting festivals, with care tips and tricks in educational programs, and in the kitchens of the city and region. The goal of this project was to bring the fruits of joy to everyone. At its core was Chemnitz’s commitment to a fruitful and sustainable living environment.

THANKS ALSO TO THE ARTIST: Hoda Tawakol 

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