The Damask rose is a popular and extremely important plant in Syrian culture and is used to produce rose oil and rose water, among other things. The Damascus Rose project was initiated by the artist Fatma Bucak as a long-term project to contribute to the re-cultivation of the Damascus rose. Due to the ongoing Syrian civil war, many of the rose fields in the country have been abandoned. In 2016, the artist had Damask rose branches sent from Syria to be grafted onto other rose plants in order to preserve them. Two Damascus roses were exhibited as part of her exhibition While the Dust Quickly Falls at the Kunsthaus Dresden and have now been planted in the herb garden of the allotment garden association »Flora I« e. V.
An Interlude is an artistic plant archive by Fatma Bucak in collaboration with Viennese botanist Bettina Bein-Lobmaier, which brings together 15 different plant species that have been used for different purposes throughout history: in small quantities to heal human diseases and injuries and in large quantities as poisonous substances.
The plant archive was part of the exhibition While the Dust Quickly Falls at Kunsthaus Dresden in summer 2022. The plants were shown there in industrial shelves as they are used in work and examination rooms, such as greenhouses or laboratories. As part of the Parzelle 3 project, the plants were relocated to the herb garden of Flora I, where they offer visitors a moment of pause from everyday life and metaphorical healing as they continue to grow and flourish as a medicinal plant garden.
