A carpenter in Hamburg once showed me the trick how to glue a mitre together only with adhesive tape. When I looked at him with a slightly sceptical face he told me: »Glöv mi dat, mijn jong, dat hält nach.« Being raised in a Bavarian cultural area I was lucky to understand »this works«. He became my trusted carpenter and we share a special connection up until today. It is this very connection, which was established so easily, that supports me, especially when I get the feeling that apparently more important relations are falling apart.
In my activity »from a plank to a bank in three hours« everyone who wanted, could build its own furniture in my studio. The happy smiling faces of the people leaving my workshop carrying their bank, displayed this connection once more.
Also the essay I wrote in 2010 for the catalogue of this exhibition, dealt with this special connection. Nandine Flores trustingly addressed questions that were born out of her exact observation of her surroundings. She does this through a deep connection with nature, which relates again and again how she works with the plant Bamboo.
My own hobbyhorse is also bamboo. Through my travels to Asia and South America this interest grew bigger and with passing time more wonderful. Bamboo binds more carbon dioxide and grows without external help faster than most of the other plants. Its firmness is immense. But the handling of the bamboo stalk itself is even more astonishing. Through the structure of its natural state it already comes with amazing properties and by using simple compounds it can easily be processed into furniture. I aim to create a connection with this. Winter-proof species of bamboo — that grow into a useful height — can also be found in our region. Therefore, plant bamboo, let it grow and build your own furniture with it. I will provide you with the necessary tricks for it.
Other material
More information about Jens Burde
Biography
Jens Burde (*1974) lives and works in Freiburg, Germany.