Plants are the unexpected heroes of post-industrial transforma-
tions. Often unnoticed in our environment, these quiet allies
in combating climate change take over spaces we leave behind,
form relationships with industrial infrastructure and other
effects of human activity, adapting to conditions created by
humans. Could we invite them to human forms of expression?
What connections might then emerge? Could art and literature
have a real impact on their protection? What means of expres-
sion could capture the similarities and differences in our modes
of existence?

We invite you to a symposium dedicated to phyto-
glossia – plant modes of influence on human forms of
expression. Together, we would like to consider the
potential of artistic and literary practices in explo-
ring the relationships between plants and humans
and in sharing knowledge necessary for designing
possible ways of symbiotic coexistence.

These issues appeal to us especially in the context of post-in-
dustrial areas. Katowice, where the symposium takes place, is
one of the most important cities in the region, owing its eco-
nomic development and cultural identity to a long history of
coal mining and steel production, and it is currently facing
challenges related to energy transformation. In the Upper
Silesia region, there are many wastelands (slag heaps, sinkho-
les, remnants of industrial infrastructure) that, due to unique
conditions such as soil temperature and mineral composition,
become unique habitats for flora, including rare plant speci-
mens. This context prompts reflection on the complexity of re-
lationships in areas subjected to strong anthropopressure.

Topics addressed during the symposium may include, among
others:
• Art-based research methods focused on exploring,
diagnosing, and designing inter-species relationships
(with a particular focus on post-industrial areas)

• Research and artistic projects dedicated to relation-
ships between inhabitants of post-industrial areas and
local nature
• Artistic, literary, theoretical conceptualisations of
relationships in highly anthropogenic environments
• Artistic practices and the ethics of working with
living plants
• Ecosystem dependencies between nature and industry
(e.g., the phenomenon of metallophytes, rare
specimens found in post-industrial areas, the spread
of „invasive species”)

The symposium will be accompanied by an exhibition where
we will present the results of our artistic-literary research un-
dertaken as part of the project „Post-Industrial Plant-Human
Dictionary”