Weisser Gänsefuss

Antje Majewski

Two photographs of city views share two thirds of the poster. We see, in addition to vehicles and apartment buildings, the same species of plant that has settled in the middle of the asphalt. Its name is found in ten more or less vulgar names at the top left of the instructions, in a green rectangle. Commonly called “Weisser Gänsefuss,” this plant is widely considered to be a weed.

Antje Majewski, through her photographs, conveys her amazement and admiration for this "parasitic" plant. In addition to reflecting on the notion of "weed", she challenges us to question the way we look at different plants in the city. Able to grow in the smallest interstice, the "chenopodium album" can reach nearly two meters in a few months. The multitude of names of this plant, also called for example lamb’s quarters, melde, or goosefoot, shows how much it has impacted the life of some growers, victims of its parasitic character and omnipresent in some regions. While most city dwellers no longer pay attention to it, Majewski takes it as a source of wonder and asks the viewer to find a new name for it.

  • Weisser Gänsefuss

    Antje Majewski, Weisser Gänsefuss, artist's instruction, 2021

  • Weisser Gänsefuss

    Antje Majewski, Weisser Gänsefuss, artist's instruction, 2021