Land art, 2024 – ongoing
When my grandmother and I work in the garden, she often tells stories from her life. And I listen.
“Delicious and Healthy Food“
Hunger after World War II. Grandmother’s father died in German captivity, leaving her mother alone with three children. There was nothing to eat. Once, great-grandmother went to a grain storage and stole some grain, filling her boots with it. It turned out that the grain had been treated with pesticides, and grandmother almost died from poisoning.
“Fair Distribution”
My great-grandmother was given bread on ration cards, less than half a loaf a day. There were no ration cards for children, so this bread was divided among four people. My grandmother was given the honorable task of cutting it. Since she couldn’t cut it evenly, she would hide the bread under a pillow, and everyone had to randomly pick their slice.
“Barefoot Childhood”
My grandmother truly had a barefoot childhood. From an early age, she herded goats and often recounted how the stubble in the fields would cut her feet badly. Her skin was covered in sores, and the only way to help them heal was to pee on her feet.
“Education for All”
In my grandmother’s class, there were only two primers – one for the teacher and one for the children. The children would pass this primer to each other in turn. When it was my grandmother’s turn, she left the primer on the windowsill after reading, and before she realized it, their goat Kvítka had eaten the primer. My grandmother says it was a real tragedy, and she cried her heart out.
“Artistic Improvisation”
My grandmother lived next door to her school teacher. At that time, teachers were given soap – a truly scarce product. So, my grandmother and her sister snuck into the teacher’s house and cut a piece off each bar of soap. They got a good scolding for that. Now, my grandmother thinks that if they had stolen one whole bar, it might not have been noticed.
“Economy Must Be Economical”
My grandmother studied to become an economist. Once, she had no money at all and snuck onto a train to her mother’s village without a ticket. She says she couldn’t even afford a 5 kopeck bun, so she traveled terribly hungry.