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Viridis Genii Symposium 2022

17 Oct

I am honored to have been invited to this year’s Viridis Genii Symposium as a presenter and workshop host! The virtual event took place September 23rd – 25th 2022. I am glad we made it work despite the 9 hour time difference. I shared nearly all my knowledge on plants and creating art with them and introduced my way of combining ritual magic with phytography. It was wonderful to receive such positive feedback both on my presentation and workshop.

The publication accompanying the annual event features also my essay on Phytography (introducing the term), my encounter with the guardian of the witch hazel and two illustrations by me. The book can be ordered here: https://viridisgenii.com/product/viridis-genii-series-7-vol-2/

Creating Magical Images of Plants – Combining Phytography and Ritual Magic

1 hour lecture + 3 hour workshop included the following topics:

  • methods of ritual magic, sympathetic magic and planetary magic
  • indepth information on plant pigments
  • short history of nature printing
  • alternative photography processes feat. work by Malin Fabbri and Kristina Feldhammer
  • Datura wrightii flower at Pinwheel Cave California
  • examples of phytographs created with coffee and plants
  • workshop guides through the ritual creation of your own magical plant paper talismans
  • question & answer on anything plant/ritual related

Workshop materials provided to attendents include:

  • ritually harvested, pressed flowers and plants
  • absorbent paper
  • signed print of the witch hazel seal

Phytographs created during the 3 hour Workshop:

  1. Magnolia, hour of Venus
  2. Fennel, hour of Mercury
  3. California Poppy, hour of Mercury + Moon
  4. Blue Lotus, hour of Moon
  5. Witch Hazel, hour of Saturn

My gratitude goes to the organizers Catamara and Marcus as well as the team of people that made it all possible, especially Kim, Katrink and Prof. Porterfield. Huge thanks also to the people that attended and took part in the workshops, especially David!

I am looking forward to the next point in time when the portals open for communing with the genii of the plant kingdom.

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New Sigilla Magica and Plant Papers

8 Mar

In 2021 I reworked some designs in my Sigilla Magica series. I also continued experimenting with applying plants unto paper, by placing whole plant parts on the paper and then soaking everything in coffee and plant extracts. See videos of the process on my instagram. In a final step, the new sigils were drawn with india ink on the papers. The new series was done with Black Henbane, Deadly Nightshade and High John the Conqueror root. I created three pieces of each. I am proud to say that one edition is now in the hands of a collector in Bavaria and the second one has recently been purchased by photographer and friend Cyril Helnwein in Ireland. Thanks guys for supporting my art!

If you are interested in publishing my work or wish to purchase originals, please e-mail me at contact[@]wiebkerost.com

Plant Negatives, 2021: Aconitum napellus, Circaea lutetiana, Hyoscyamus niger

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ROOT Art Exhibition Online

22 Dec

ROOT is the inaugural exhibition hosted by The Organic Centre & creatively coordinated by artist Sarah Ellen Lundy as part of the pairs ongoing collaborative ‘Project Earth’.

https://www.rootexhibition.com/

 

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Winter Solstice 2019

22 Dec

The fruits of mutual work, old and new alliances…

In December 2019, I finished fresh batches of “Rauhnächte” and “Winter Solstice” incense and started a new round of working with the birch’s arboreal spirit… Besides this, incense master Caroline Maxelon of Bussardflug and me began plotting a collaboration for 2020. Kicking it off, she sent me – along with a lot of powerful shamanic items for my ritual work – also her new book “Räucherstoffe aus aller Welt” (published by Nymphenburger). I was thrilled to read about so many new incense ingredients, that are not part of standard encyclopedias and which I had been discovering intuitively by myself over the past years. It feels, like my own wicked work and ‘wild’ incense formulas are now receiving confirmation and legitimization through Caroline and Christine Fuchs, who are icons and leaders in the field here in Germany. I thus highly recommend this book – both for its factual content as well as its photography.

Yesterday I received another surprise in my mail – the special edition of “Secret Ambrosian Fire” by German black metal originators MOSAIC (Eisenton Records). I was asked to compose an alchemical inspired plant sigil for this record, which now adorns the cover of the digi-pack edition. Only now, I begin to grasp the idea behind this conceptual opus magnum and it is deeply satisfying to witness the fruits of our mutual efforts!

Everything points in to a new direction in my life, but it is also getting more complex, along with all these new impulses. Today I thus went to different trees, burnt some of the winter incense and blessed the new birch wood pentacle, among a circle of young birch trees, as well as at the roots of two older birch trees, which are frequently visited by crows… For me, thus the circle of the old year closed and I can now head into another phase of consolidation and start creative work again after the holidays.

 

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Raven King

28 Nov

Years ago I began creating abstract line drawings, or ‘sigils’, inspired by nature. In these works I summarize nature science, folklore and personal experiences connected to the plants and animals that surround me. Some of these works are already 10 years old. The best known is perhaps the official Teufelskunst logo, which is inspired by the wormwood herb. Another is my sigil for the ‘black mandrake’ and the metamorphous art titled “Regina Amandrakina”, which were both published in “Pillars Periodical, The Ebon Kteis” (Anathema Publishing, Canada, 2014).

A first print edition of these works was introduced at the London “magical Art/E” event, which took place in 2014 at the old Hackney tower. Later (still self-produced) print editions sold out quickly. In follow, I created smaller ink drawings and miniature editions with these sigils. An important aspect of these drawings is the treatment of the paper, which is infused with tinctures and corresponding extracts of natural materials. In November 2017, these ink drawings premiered as part of the “Bad Intentions” group exhibition at Gallery CIRCLE1, Berlin.

“Raven King” Sigil

This is my second work in this line representing an ‘animal’ spirit. It combines mythology and spiritual lore connected to the Corvidae family.

Ravens and crows both feature extensively in the mythology and folklore of basically all continents and nations. I cannot remember when exactly my own journey with these animals started. But they continue to present me with the most auspicious magic and moments, whenever I open up and notice their ever-presence. Hence, when a friend inquired for a crow skull tattoo, I already felt a deep connection to the animal’s collective spirit. But then began a reading and study journey, for which I received some wonderful recommendations. The sigil art presented here is the quintessence of my autumnal journey with the crows, ravens, magpies, jackdaws and grosbeaks around me and their universal lore.

In November 2019 I created the first ink drawings on infused paper. The sigils are signed and numbered on the back. They come in a black cardboard box, which is also signed and numbered. Along with the artwork you also receive a 30 ml bag of evocation incense, created specifically for the King of all Corvid Folk, as well as one piece of cherry resin and one auspiciously branched “Pin of Slumber” from the blackthorn.

Artwork size: ca. 12,5 x 12,5 cm

Edition specifics: limited to 2 x 7

Available here

 

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Regina Bombina, Golden Bee Pendant, The Sacred Bee

14 Oct

“Regina Bombina”, ink, 2017

Totemic artwork, first show-cased at Circle1 gallery in Berlin last year. It is my homage to the great mother and queen, as she has been depicted in the form of crowned bees or half human half bee shaped spirits in ancient civilizations. She is surrounded by her servants, little bee demons.

Golden Bee Pendant, Malia, Crete, 1800-1700 BC

Honey Bee, Malia, Crete, 2018

“The Sacred Bee”, Hilda M. Ransom, Dover Press, 2004

“The Sacred Bee”, Hilda M. Ransom, Dover Press, 2004

After seeing the golden bee pendant from Malia in person, I started a new read: “The sacred Bee” by Hilda M. Ransom. It discusses the mythology and folklore of bees in ancient civilizations across the world and also features a chapter on the roll bees played in ancient Cretan life and worship practice. I am hence delving deeper into the concept behind my “Regina Bombina” and “Flower Devils“.

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Osterquelle

3 Apr

On Easter Sunday – the last weekend before my move to Düsseldorf, my mom took me to a well, where we gathered natural spring water. A couple told us, a big toad was hiding inside the rocky cavity surrounding the well. I gathered the water in a brown glass bottle and washed the apple wood disc, which I had pyrographed with my “Blessing Seal of Spring”.

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Berlin, January 14 2018

17 Jan

Berlin, January 14 2018

This has been pointed out to me by an acquaintance from Berlin, and now I went there to see it myself.

No, I don’t do street art. Someone copied my Harvest sigil and combined it with a raven motif. I reckon the raven may be copied as well. I was surprised about the dimension. It seems to be glued unto the door rather than painted directly on it. It is signed “Pyramid Oracle”. They obviously put some work into this project and I admit it turned out nicely. I have to accept that others will continue to copy my work. It contributes to my work and ideas gaining broader impact. I doubt though, the person, who made this, has an idea of who I am or the concept behind the sigil. They probably don’t understand fully the spiritual consequences either. It’s not my business. Rest assured though, if I see you attempting to draw profit or recognition from copying my designs, I will hunt you.

X.

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“Bad Intentions” Exhibition Opening at Gallery CIRCLE1, Berlin 2017

25 Nov

“Bad Intentions” Exhibition Opening @ Circle 1, Berlin

The candles have been lit, the incense has been burnt; my work now vibrates in the rooms of gallery Circle 1 until December 23rd. What started as a vague idea of creating artwork for a list of magical plants, has years later finally taken shape. Now was the point when everything fell into place naturally. It was preceded by searching and researching, trial and error, sowing, growing, loss and gain in the very basic and earth-bound occupation as a gardener and harvester. The first hand study of the actual plants laid the foundation, my rediscovered love for ink became the tool for manifesting my visions.

The installation is hence titled “Harvest” and consists of an earthen altar with dried plants and harvest related offerings: self baked bread, honey from the neighborhood and self-made beeswax candles. The souls and spirits that were contained in the once alive, now dead corpora of the plants, find a new house in the form of fetishistic ink drawings: the “Sigilla Magica” series.

With these new forms I also find an own language, which aims to both entertain and communicate memes to the viewer. 12 ink drawings reference 11 magical plants as well as the ‘queen bee’ – “Regina Bombina” – governing the vital interaction between plants and pollinators. In addition, 2 anthropomorphic drawings depict the Aconite and Mandragora in half-human form, as the armed and poison-dart struck “Wolf Shaman” and beheaded and re-headed “Regina Amandrakina” with her freakish offspring. Lastly, 2 botanical studies of the roots of the Aconite and Mandragora are meant to act as a bridge between abstraction and realism and honor the individual and fascinating shape of each in detail.

Some of the works:

 

Impressions from the vernissage:

Thanks to all involved!

17.11.-23.12.2017 – Bad Intentions,
a group exhibition curated by Avi Pitchon and Alona Harpaz

Opening times:
Thursday – Saturday
12:00-18:00

CIRCLE1 Gallery
Mittenwalder Stra­ße 47
10961 Berlin

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“Bad Intentions” Exhibition Opening

8 Nov

Dear followers and friends,

I am happy to share the news with you that I will be part of the exhibition “Bad Intentions” at Circle 1 gallery in Berlin, opening November 17. You are all invited to attend and spread the news!

This is a unique opportunity for me to bring my plant inspired art to a new audience. I will be showing ink drawings of my “Sigilla Magica” and illustrations, supported by an installation with different magical herbs from my garden and surroundings.

Below a quote from the introduction text, by curator Avi Pitchon:

“Bad Intentions” seeks to modestly contribute a tiny voice to hopefully echo into a massive abyss. The title is a reference to the good intentions of ‘artivism’, and where they lead to: the disappearance of both art and activism. The exhibition does so by staging an absurd tear between art and artist, in the hope that a gaze into the tear might enable a distinction between art and politics. The artists selected for this group exhibition are Jewish-Israeli, Palestinian-Israeli, Jewish, Palestinian and German. However, no artwork in this exhibition forms an explicit mirroring of any social or political tensions formed within the above ethnic/national triangle. The artwork does not ‘speak for itself’; it simply speaks by itself. “Bad Intentions” intentionally ignores the background and circumstance of the artist, in order to destabilise anything that is expected of such a grouping of artists, because all of those expectations are not only tired cliches, they also silence the speech of art. “Bad Intentions” is thus an invitation for the viewer to empower themselves by placing the weight and responsibility of attention on them; by not providing crutches of meaning.

Bad Intentions

Artists: Eitan Ben Moshe, Wiebke Rost, Georgia Kuhn, Tamy Ben-Tor & Miki Carmi, Merav Kamel & Halil Balabin, Mika Rottenberg, Osama Zatar, Anat Ben David, Neta Dror and Keren Cytter

Curated by Avi Pitchon and Alona Harpaz

17.11.2017 – 23.12.2017

Friday 17.11.17 at 19:00 – Exhibition Opening 

This exhibition is supported by the Szloma Albam Stiftung

http://www.szloma-albam-stiftung.de

Neta Dror – Keyla, 2016

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