About

Know Picnic Project
Title: Know Picnic
Concept: The Curiously Minded
Space: Kunsthalle Faust

Concept: The Know Picnic Table & Program

The picnic table is a universal symbol for sharing food and doing so in a setting that is most always in nature. The idea of having a picnic is often associated with the pleasure of an excursion during which conversation and food is shared.A picnic is also a form of nomadic undertaking and for it to work cooperation in  sharing things that originate from diverse sources is a must The picnic theme is  an appropriate artistic sujet and  has been celebrated  in painting but also in music, film and literature: "Le Déjeuner sur l'Herbe" was one the earliest works of Manet; "Malcolm's X-Ray Picnic" was a hit for the indie-pop group Number One Cup, and "Roadside Picnic" by Boris and Arkady Strugatsky was the source for the film Stalker by Andrei Tarkovsky.

By placing a picnic table in an art-space setting, a reference to its standing in the arts is made and at the same time the sought out “beautiful view” that accompanies each and every picnic is provided for in a unique manner.  However, the act of partaking can be extended to the areas of debate and knowledge sharing in general. The title of the project “Know-Picnic”, although a homonym, Although traditionally a peaceful social activity, the picnic can also be utilised for purposes of political protest, because it signifies a temporary occupation of significant public territory.It is in this sense that the "Know-Picnic" project is conceived. On the one hand, the table occupies a space in an art institute and functions because of this as a re-contextulized object and on the other hand it is set up as a platform for "excursion" for all those who bring things to it for open discussion, knowledge transfer, artistic action, or just as an exercise in partaking.


Open Call: Know Picnic Guests Wanted

A long picnic styled table of circa twelve meters in length fills the space of a gallery that provides the appropriate “idyllic” picnic scenery by the artwork that has been hung to view.The table, made of food waste materials helps in accenting the topics at hand: Food Futures. This includes talk, discussions, demonstrations, or workshops that brush on pertinent issues such as food sharing and food waste and how such actions as urban gardening and food rescuing cna lead to a more social and sustainable society in which questions and concerns on justice and security with food are addressed.

This action is part of a series of “Know-Picnic Art Events” that signify both participation and sharing, which are both considered to be the key elements in building a sense of community amongst a diverse group of people and to generate trust among each other, foster leadership, and have faith in all traditions of all peoples in order to improve the quality of life for all through participation and sharing at the table.

Click here for Participation Form K(no)w Picnic