foraging (2017)

Installation and Performance in the Exhibition Vertrauen (Trust) at KIT Düsseldorf from (June 24–September 24, 2017)
Curated by Prof. Tomma Abts

Medium: Functional fabrics, technical applications, straps, ribbons, wood, plants, 6 cultivation sets, 6 planting sets
Size: Variable

foraging presents two functional outfits for gardeners—one for men and one for women—made from high-tech materials by Schoeller and Extremtextil. The garments are robust, weatherproof, and designed for comfort and protection, incorporating practical details such as adjustable drawstrings and multiple tool pockets.

The installation was shown in the entrance area of the tunnel at KIT Düsseldorf. The outfits rest on a pedestal, flanked by two cubes containing hydroponic cultivation and planting sets, aligned with the tunnel’s slope. The arrangement functions like a stage, where clothing, art, and technologized plant cultivation converge.

amber (2017)

Medium: Film
Duration: 19:52 min
Format: 1950 × 1080 px

For the opening of this collection on June 23, 2024, a performance was held symbolizing the connection between humans and nature through the repotting of plants. This performance was featured in the science fiction film amber (a collaboration with artist Nora Zielinski), which became part of the exhibition. Throughout the duration of the show, visitors could observe the plants‘ progress and eventually enjoy the harvested herbs and salads.

re-foraging (2024)

Kunstverein Nürnberg, 24 Feb – 5 Apr 2024
Further development of foraging (2017)
Curated by Achinoam Alon

Medium: Funtional textiles, technical applications, straps, ribbons, raised beds, wood
Size: Variable

Invited by Kunstverein Nürnberg, Liora Epstein presented a reworked version of foraging in the exhibition Asking for a Friend. The show brought together primarily Jewish artists to reflect on position, identity, and artistic belonging in the aftermath of the October 7, 2023 events.

The exhibition’s title refers to the idea of disidentification: addressing personal biography through a “friend,” thus creating a space to relate individual work to larger narratives of German and Israeli history. For Epstein, this context reframes foraging and raises questions about “Jewish art”: what makes art Jewish, and does such a category exist?

The work’s themes of self-sufficiency and cultivation are now linked to Jewish diasporic practices, including Hakhshara—the agricultural preparation in Zionist youth homes in early 20th-century Germany. The exhibition was characterized by a deep exchange among the artists and was further framed by two panel discussions organized by the Kunstverein. This collective engagement and the re-contextualization of foraging allow the project to evolve into its next phase: re-foraging 1 / sandbox pilgrimage, beginning in 2025.

Image 1 Installation view foraging as part of the exhibition Vertrauen
Photo by Ivo Faber

Image 2-3 Video stills amber as an integrated part of the work foraging
Screenshots by Liora Epstein / Video editing by Nora Zielinski

Image 4-6 Installation view re-foraging as part of the exhibition Asking for a Friend
Photos by Lukas Pürmayr (© Lukas Pürmayr)