Some plants are exchanged as tokens of love, some are glorified as national emblems, while some are labeled as 'invasive' or 'pest'. We hope to plant some seeds of doubt regarding the conventionally accepted botanical labels and cultural consumption of specific plants in the Netherlands, and beat around the bush for a while as we expand our focus on the contexts in which such knowledge is formed.
Let us step into the messy jungle of contested meanings, conflicting interests, political agendas — the rich and dense culture of nature.
Once upon a time we embarked on "Seafoam" , a series of blog posts, poetic musings and recipes surrounding the idea of queering the traditional notions of aphrodisiacs. The numerous adventures that we — our botanical, microbial and mammalian friends— made possible together, transformed all of us.
Tea dissolves the shells we have formed around us, separate from each other, to protect ourselves from the dizzying torrents of our day-to-day lives. It is time that we recollect ourselves and put a stop to it ourselves. It is time.
Aphrodisiac #3 - Strewing herb for your dance floor
Mediamatic's one and only strewing herb bouquet that you can release into the air like confetti, then perfume the air for every step that you make as you and your beloved dance on the sprinkled earth, reminiscent of a starry night sky. On the Meadow of Dusk, you can feel safe, trusted and protected.
Aphrodisiac #4 - Saliva-fermented wine of the gods
Saliva-fermented alcoholic beverage is a tradition in many different cultures, from kuchikami no zake in Japan (literally, "mouth-chewed rice wine"; from this we got inspired of the name kami no zake , which can also mean "god's wine", as kami is a homonym for "chew" 噛 and "god" 神), to chicha …
Recreation of Queen Mary Tudor's aphrodisiac, quince jelly, with a selection of herbs that heal and give strength, and a Mediamatic twist of fermentation.
