WEEDS FEED! – A care package with texts, artworks and herbs
Author, editor & graphic designer: Sandra Kosorotova
Texts: Sean Roy Parker, Sandra Kosorotova, Ann Mirjam Vaikla
Artworks: Olga Tjurina, Vera Lantsova, Lena Sabinina
Herbs: Dandelion roots and Fireweed leaves
Format: A4, 24 pages, printed on 100% recycled paper with a risoprinter

WEEDS FEED! is a tactile publication compiled by Sandra Kosorotova. From an in-depth study on food capitalism and land stewardship, to fermental health and the possibility of feeding each other, Sandra’s work encompasses ideas of care-taking as an artistic practice; how we can transform excess energy into a rewarding co-existence of humans and other-than-humans.

The publication offers writings by Sandra, artist-activist Sean Roy Parker and the director of NART, Ann Mirjam Vaikla. The artworks by Olga Tjurina, Vera Lantsova and Lena Sabinina were inspired by – and inspiring – the texts in the publication. The package includes bundles of fermented fireweed leaves or dandelion root – that can be used to prepare tea or other herbal creations – collected, dried and preserved from various locations: Narva, Tallinn and Massiaru in Estonia.

WEEDS FEED! is co-commissioned for Today is Our Tomorrow. The festival, taking a different form and location each year, supports intersectional ecologies and diversity of thoughts, of practices, of identities, and their experiences through its collaborative methodology. The 2021 edition has been realised in collaboration with The Latvian Centre for Contemporary Art, Narva Art Residency and NAC of Vilnius Academy of Arts.

Sandra Kosorotova (Tallinn, 1984) is an artist and designer from Tallinn, Estonia. She graduated from the Estonian Academy of Arts with a MA in Fashion Design in 2016. From 2013 to 2015 she co-led the NGO New Russian Culture in Estonia (UVKE), which aimed to bring together Estonian and Russian-speaking communities by organising cultural events. She is currently co-running a community garden near Narva Art Residency in Estonia.

Sean Roy Parker (London, 1988) is an artist, environmentalist and cook based in London. His work examines the life cycle of materials, complexities of civic responsibility, and problem solving through collaboration. He practises traditional approaches to craft and art-making, using leftover or abundant items, both natural and artificial, to explore feelings of eco-anxiety in late-stage capitalism, and redistribute resources through flexible care structures.

Ann Mirjam Vaikla (Tallinn, 1990) is an artist and curator, since 2017 the director of Narva Art Residency. Her practice lies in the intersection of performing and visual arts working at various contexts at galleries, theatres and public spaces in Estonia and internationally. She has studied Scenography (BA) in Norwegian Theatre Academy and Culture and Arts (MA) in Novia University of Applied Sciences in Finland.

The association of Narva-based artists Vestervalli was organised in 1999 to create annual exhibitions in the Narva Art Gallery of the Narva Museum. The tradition of these shows ended in 2020, and since then the Vestervalli artists have been organising shows in cafes, libraries and in the streets of Narva. Many artists of the older generation received their education in Russia, while others studied at the Estonian Academy of Arts and Tartu Art College. The group includes many artists who have worked at the Kreenholm Textile Manufacture. At the moment the union has around 35 members including Vera Lantsova (Russia, 1956), Lena Sabinina (Narva, 1963) and is currently led by Olga Tjurina (Russia, 1963).