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Global Mail Art and the Poetry of Growth
At the intersection of artistic creation and ecological awakening, the PLANT AND SEED Mail Art initiative stands as a poetic yet powerful act. Initiated by German artist Lars Schumacher, this open call reaches beyond borders, inviting participants across the globe to sow a seed, plant a tree, and create artwork inspired by this living gesture.
Rooted in the Mail Art movement—an art form born from the Fluxus and Dada traditions that prizes accessibility, participation, and non-commercial exchange—the project transforms the simple act of planting into a conceptual catalyst. Each submission becomes a convergence point: the biological and the aesthetic, the physical and the symbolic.
Artists were asked to document their act of planting: the species of seed or tree, the date it was planted, and its geographical coordinates. In response, they created five works in the format of DIN A4 or 20×30 cm—works imagined not in isolation, but as creative extensions of germination itself. These were submitted both digitally and physically, with the physical works explicitly marked “no commercial value”—a gentle yet pointed reminder of the project’s ethos: art as offering, not commodity.
Historically, collage and mail art have long operated on the fringes of institutionalized culture, offering alternative spaces for visual dialogue. But PLANT AND SEED adds an urgent new layer to this legacy—an environmental consciousness that doesn’t preach, but grows. In an era defined by disconnection from nature and accelerating climate crisis, this project celebrates slowness, care, and planetary kinship. It is not just about images on paper; it’s about making art with the earth, not just about it.
The submissions were first showcased in a digital screen exhibition at Kunstmarkt Burgdorf (September 1, 2019), followed by a dedicated studio exhibition in Hannover. But even beyond gallery walls, the project leaves behind invisible installations—planted gestures scattered across the globe. Trees growing in South America, seeds sprouting in Europe, and paper trails of inspiration meandering through postal systems—all now part of a collective archive of attention and action.
In this way, PLANT AND SEED is both artwork and ecosystem. It invites us to recognize that each planted seed is a political gesture, a hope inscribed in soil, and each artwork is a record of that intention. As the climate conversation deepens, projects like this remind us that creative acts, however small, can take root in profound ways—artistically, ecologically, globally.
Nr. Pflanze Datum Koordinaten Ort Land Gepflanzt von
01 Pyrus Communis (Birne) 04.2019 52°27'16.4"N 9°59'33.6"E Burgdorf Deutschland Lars Schumacher
02 Prunus avium (Kirsche, 5 Sorten) 04.2019 52°27'16.2"N 9°59'33.2"E Burgdorf Deutschland Susanne Schumacher
03 Prunus domestica (Hauszwetsche) 04.2019 52°27'16.3"N 9°59'31.5"E Burgdorf Deutschland Lars Schumacher
04 Retama (Ginster) 05.2019 43°02'01.3"N 7°35'40.2"W Lugo, Galicuen Spanien Sabela Bana
05 Ilex aquifolium (Stechpalme) 03.2019 43°02'01.3"N 7°35'40.2"W Lugo, Galicuen Spanien Sabela Bana
06 Rubus idaeus (Himbeere) 05.2019 43°02'01.3"N 7°35'40.2"W Lugo, Galicuen Spanien Sabela Bana
07 Camellia japonica (Kamelie) 04.2019 43°02'01.3"N 7°35'40.2"W Lugo, Galicuen Spanien Sabela Bana
08 Punica granatum (Granatapfel) 05.2019 43°02'01.3"N 7°35'40.2"W Lugo, Galicuen Spanien Sabela Bana
09 Pinus taiwanensis (+4 weitere) 05.2019 23.6978 N 120.9605 E Taiwan Niniji
10 Duranta erecta (Himmelsblüte) 06.2019 -31.819494 S -61.386695 W Santa Clara de Buena Vista Argentinien Rosa Gravino
11 Erythrina crista-galli (Korallenbaum) 06.2019 -32.825428 S -61.399359 W Cañada de Gómez Argentinien Rosa Gravino
12 Geoffroea decorticans (Schmetterlingsblütler) 06.2019 -32.825617 S -61.383442 W Cañada de Gómez Argentinien Rosa Gravino
13 Salix erythroflexuosa (Lockenweide) 06.2019 -32.825890 S -61.383369 W Cañada de Gómez Argentinien Rosa Gravino
14 Celtis tala (Zürgelbaum) 06.2019 -32.829428 S -61.399359 W Cañada de Gómez Argentinien Rosa Gravino
15 Castanea (Kastanie) 05.2019 43°34'15.1"N 11°31'55.9"E San Giovanni Valdarno Italien Maya Lopez Muro
16 Ailanthus altissima (Götterbaum) 05.2019 43°34'15.1"N 11°31'55.9"E San Giovanni Valdarno Italien Maya Lopez Muro
17 Acacia dealbata (Silberne Akazie) 05.2019 43°34'15.1"N 11°31'55.9"E San Giovanni Valdarno Italien Maya Lopez Muro
18 Cannabis (Hanf) 05.2019 42°18'57.8"N 83°02'21.8"W Windsor Kanada Susan Gold
19 Sempervivum grandiflorum (Hauswurz) 05.2019 45°50'09.1"N 15°57'26.9"E Zagreb Kroatien Darja Mrdjen
20 Hedera helix (Gemeines Efeu) 05.2019 45°50'09.1"N 15°57'26.9"E Zagreb Kroatien Darja Mrdjen
21 Caryophyllaceae (Wilde Nelke) 05.2019 45°50'09.1"N 15°57'26.9"E Zagreb Kroatien Darja Mrdjen
22 Rosa spinosissima (Felsenrose) 05.2019 45°50'09.1"N 15°57'26.9"E Zagreb Kroatien Darja Mrdjen
23 Stellaria media (Vogelmiere) 05.2019 45°50'09.1"N 15°57'26.9"E Zagreb Kroatien Darja Mrdjen
24 Quercus (Eiche) 07.2019 48°39'72.2"N 8°46'82.0"E Loßburg-Sterneck Deutschland Barbara Ihme
25 Lichtnelke (Brennende Liebe) 09.2019 52°48'90.3"N 10°00'90.4"E Otze Deutschland Wiebke & Mirko Sievers
26 Quercus (Eiche) 09.2019 52°44'5.9"N 10°00'4.9"E Burgdorf Deutschland Armin Pollehn
27 Helianthus annuus (Sonnenblume) 09.2019 52°44'5.9"N 10°00'4.9"E Burgdorf Deutschland Friedrich Schumacher
28 Helianthus annuus (Sonnenblume) 09.2019 52°44'5.9"N 10°00'4.9"E Burgdorf Deutschland Simon Strohe
29 Helianthus annuus (Sonnenblume) 09.2019 52°44'5.9"N 10°00'4.9"E Burgdorf Deutschland Alfred Baxmann
30 Ocimum basilicum (Basilikum) 09.2019 48°40'69.6"N 7°98'64.7"E Berghaupten Deutschland Barbara Ihme
31 Carica papaya (+99 Bäume, Schulprojekt) 10.2019 3°20'05.6"S 37°20'25.4"E Kilimanjaro Region Tansania Nicas Marandu
32 Ginkgo biloba (Ginkgobaum) 10.2019 53°20'N 15°2'O Stargard Polen André, Juliana, Johannes, Bernadeta
33 Coreopsis (Mädchenauge, Aster) 10.2019 48°42'46.0"N 8°00'90.5"E Gengenbach-Reichenbach Deutschland Barbara Ihme
34 Rubus idaeus (Himbeere, +2) 04.2020 48°42'46.0"N 8°00'90.5"E Gengenbach-Reichenbach Deutschland Barbara Ihme
35 Kniphofia (Fackellilie) 04.2020 48°42'46.0"N 8°00'90.5"E Gengenbach-Reichenbach Deutschland Barbara Ihme
36 Coreopsis (Mädchenauge) 04.2020 48°42'46.0"N 8°00'90.5"E Gengenbach-Reichenbach Deutschland Barbara Ihme
37 Castanea (Kastanie, +11) 10.2020 52°43'21.9"N 10°00'33.0"E Burgdorf Deutschland Claus Duensing & Lars Schumacher
38 Quercus (Eiche, +2, Beuys 100) 05.2021 48°29'23.0"N 8°35'21.8"E Schiltach Deutschland Barbara Ihme
39 Prunus persica (Pfirsich) 05.2021 52°45'4"N 9°99'1"E Burgdorf Deutschland Friedrich Schumacher
40 Prunus serrulata 'Kanzan' (Nelkenkirsche) 05.2021 52°45'4"N 9°99'1"E Burgdorf Deutschland Friedrich Schumacher
41 Pyrus communis 'Clapp’s Favourite' (Birne) 05.2021 52°45'4"N 9°99'1"E Burgdorf Deutschland Susanne Schumacher
42 Castanea (Kastanie, +2) 08.2021 52°45'20.4"N 9°95'36.1"E Burgdorf Deutschland Len
43 Castanea (Kastanie) 08.2021 52°45'20.4"N 9°95'36.1"E Burgdorf Deutschland Luc
44 Cydonia oblonga (Birnenquitte) 05.2022 52°45'20.4"N 9°95'36.1"E Burgdorf Deutschland Susanne Schumacher
45 Wildblumen 08.2022 52°30'3.877"N 13°27'42.518"E Amsterdam Niederlande Zwilie Lebee-Thomas
46 Buntnessel (Coleus) 08.2022 52°30'3.877"N 13°27'42.518"E Berlin, Friedrichshain Deutschland Ilene Winckler
47 Kamille (Matricaria chamomilla) 08.2022 52°30'3.877"N 13°27'42.518"E Berlin, Friedrichshain Deutschland Juliana Hellmundt
48 Steinrose 08.2022 52°30'3.877"N 13°27'42.518"E Berlin, Wedding Deutschland Anke Aust
49 Buntnessel (Coleus) 08.2022 52°30'3.877"N 13°27'42.518"E Berlin, Friedrichshain Deutschland Anastasia A. Mikhaylova
Plant and Seed:
Where Art and Earth Take Root
In a world seeking meaningful connection with nature, Plant and Seed offers something both quietly radical and gently hopeful. Initiated by German artist Lars Schumacher, this international art project invites participants from all corners of the globe to perform a deceptively simple act: plant a tree or seed, and create a piece of art inspired by it.
Rooted in the ethos of the Mail Art movement—known for its openness, collaboration, and anti-commercial stance—Plant and Seed turns ecological care into artistic expression. Participants documented their plantings (what they planted, where, and when), and submitted five artworks, each bearing the mark “no commercial value”—a subtle reminder that art, like nature, can exist outside of the marketplace.
What emerged is a living, growing archive of stories, gestures, and green intentions. The works were first exhibited in 2019 at (Petrick´s) Kunstschafenster in Burgdorf, then later in Hannover and Berlin. The idea was further inspired and carried forward in North America by the urban gardeners at OneTenPark in Windsor, Canada: Susan Gold, Kewy Janisse, and Linda Renaud. But the most enduring exhibition lies scattered across the earth: gardens, schoolyards, forests, city sidewalks—each one home to a planted tree or seed, growing quietly beyond the gallery walls.
A Global Tapestry of Action
The project reached all continents:
In Germany, dozens contributed—among them Lars, Susanne, Friedrich, Barbara, and many others who planted sunflowers, cherry trees, oaks, and even “trees for Beuys.”
In Spain, Sabela Bana sowed ginster, raspberries, and camellias across Galician soil.
In Argentina, Rosa Gravino planted a botanical legacy—from coral trees to butterfly bushes.
In Italy, Maya Lopez Muro added sacred trees like the ailanthus and acacia to historic Tuscan ground.
From Croatia to Canada, Poland to Taiwan, Tanzania to the Netherlands, each contribution formed a root in this growing web of care.
Art with Soil Under Its Nails
What distinguishes Plant and Seed is its resonance with today’s ecological consciousness—not through lectures or slogans, but through gentle transformation. Every plant in the archive embodies sustainability:
Trees store carbon, protect habitats, and carry symbolic weight—from remembrance (ginkgo) to resilience (oak).
Wildflowers and herbs support pollinators and biodiversity while thriving with little maintenance.
Edible plants like raspberry and papaya empower local food cultivation and community sharing.
Symbolic species like the hemp plant or friendship trees evoke cultural dialogue and creative courage.
This is not art about nature—it is art in partnership with nature.
Where Roots Run Deep
The planting sites are just as meaningful as the species themselves. In urban hubs like Berlin or Amsterdam, trees offer shade, clean air, and a break from concrete fatigue. In towns like Burgdorf or Schiltach, they reflect community identity and collaboration. In schools, like the papaya project in Tanzania, they become living lessons in responsibility.
Each location is a reminder: sustainability isn’t distant policy—it’s personal geography.
Reclaiming Slowness in a Fast World
In a time shaped by environmental anxiety, overconsumption, and digital overload, Plant and Seed speaks a different language—one of slowness, sharing, and care. It reminds us that creativity can nourish more than paper or pixels; it can nourish ecosystems, minds, and collective memory.
Ultimately, Plant and Seed is a manifesto of gentle resistance: A seed is planted. A gesture is documented. A work of art is sent—not sold, but shared.
And somewhere, something begins to grow.
PANT AND SEED
A Fluxus-Inspired Global Art Project Blossoms in Burgdorf
On the occasion of the KUNSTMARKT in Burgdorf on September 1st, 2019, the PLANT AND SEED project unfolds as a poetic and participatory exhibition in the KUNST SCHAU FENSTER of Petrick Moden, Marktstraße 3. Curated by Burgdorf-based artist Lars Schumacher, this Fluxus-inspired art action brings together 15 international artists from the USA, Canada, Argentina, Spain, Italy, Turkey, Taiwan, Japan, and Germany.
At the heart of the project lies a simple yet profound call: “Plant a tree or seed something beautiful. Create art in the spirit of your planting. Document the plant type, the date, and the coordinates. Send your artistic response.” More than 150 seeds and plants have since been sowed around the globe—each one paired with a creative act born of care, place, and poetic intention.
The contributions range from visual artworks to conceptual gestures, all echoing the core idea of growth, renewal, and interconnectedness. PLANT AND SEED functions as a living social sculpture—an artwork not confined to gallery walls, but rooted in soil and community. The exhibition, freely viewable 24 hours a day through the shopfront showcase, continues until October 3rd, 2019.
Participating artists include: Ali Asker Bal · Beşir Bayar · Sabela Baña · Mirta Caccaro · Susan Gold · Rosa Gravino · Aaron Morgan · Darja Mrdjen · Maya Lopez Muro · Keiichi Nakamura · Niniji · Lars Schumacher · Susanne Schumacher · Sait Toprak · İbrahim Yildiz: The seeds have been planted—both literally and metaphorically. Now, the art grows.
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