About the project
The Post-Industrial Plant-Human Dictionary combines art and literature to explore the relationships between plants and humans in post-industrial areas. Our research addresses the unique issues arising from the peculiarities of the Upper Silesian landscape—an emblem of local identity. As we transition away from heavy industry, including coal mining, we aim to highlight the less obvious actors in these transformative processes: local plants. The goal of the project is to investigate existing plant-human bonds and initiate deeper connections.
The dictionary’s characteristic structure refers to an era of dynamic scientific development and the specialization of knowledge. We adopt this format to examine, on one hand, the specifics of human categorization, and on the other, to reflect on the translational challenges and the creative potential of attempting to translate nature into language. The Proto-Indo-European root deik-, from which the English word “dictionary,” the French “dictionnaire,” and the Spanish “diccionario” derive, means “to speak solemnly” and “to show.” By referring to the concept of a dictionary, we aim to highlight the artistic and literary efforts to express the relationship between plants and humans in new ways.
