This event will be held in English.

The exhibition Host(ile) Lands will close this Sunday with a debate, in which the artists, together with invited speakers and the public, explore  and reflect on the practices, policies, cultural and political implications of invasiveness, exoticism and the migration of people, animals and plants. As part of this closing event there will be a food contribution with invasive species by Mariko Hori and Kumi Hiroi (see recipes below).

Event Programme:

15.00 – 15.15: Welcoming by Alice Smits (curator/director Zone2Source)

15.15 – 15.45: Lecture on Invasive Alien Species in Perspective: From Ecological Impact to Management by Janneke van der Loop (ecologist and expert on invasive species)

15.45 – 16.15: Lecture on Ecological Xenophobia: The Political Semiotics of Host(ile) Species by Yogi Hale Hendlin (environmental philosopher)

break

16.30: Artist talk by Kumi Hiroi

16.45: Artist talk by Mariko Hori

16.45 – 17.30: Debate between Janneke van der Loop, Yogi Hale Hendlin, Hangfeng Chen, Pan Vanitcharoenthum, Mariko Hori and Kumi Hiroi

17.30 – 18.00: Food and drinks serving Japanese knotweed tea, Sitting in the Same Soup and a surprise dessert prepared by Kumi Hiroi and Mariko Hori

 

Introducing the Speakers: 

 

Janneke van der Loop is an ecologist and works as an ecology advisor at the Aa en Maas Water Authority and as secretary of the Netherlands Centre of Expertise for Exotic Species. She focuses on policy, research, and management of invasive alien species in relation to water management and biodiversity. Since her PhD on the invasive species Water Crassula, she has been collaborating nationally and internationally with knowledge institutions and practical partners on (innovative) solutions for tackling invasive species.

Invasive Species in Perspective: From Ecological Impact to Management by Janneke van der Loop

“In my work as an ecologist, I view invasive species from the perspective of their effects on biodiversity, public health, and the economy. In this lecture, I will briefly discuss how species are assessed as ‘invasive’ and what impact they can have, and explain how policy and management are organized in the Netherlands and the EU. Using two innovative projects concerning Japanese knotweed, I will demonstrate how we are working on solutions to this problem. I will also briefly touch upon the international dimension: there are, after all, species that become invasive elsewhere originating from Europe and are combatted there in a similar manner.”

 

 

Yogi Hale Hendlin is an environmental philosopher and public health researcher, tenured at the Erasmus School of Philosophy (Erasmus University Rotterdam), and research associate at the UCSF Center to End Corporate Harm. Hendlin is Editor-in-Chief of the journal Biosemiotics and founder of the Feral Ecologies Lab, an interdisciplinary platform at the intersection of semiotics, environmental philosophy, and the politics of interspecies life. Hendlin’s research examines how commercial and political interests shape ecological knowledge and develops the concept of semiocide to describe the systematic dismantling of meaning-making relationships in living worlds. Publishing across venues including the New England Journal of Medicine and maintaining active creative-ecological collaborations across Europe, California, and Japan, and considering himself an intellectual refugee, Hendlin often identifies as an alien more than an expat.

Ecological Xenophobia: The Political Semiotics of Host(ile) Species by Yogi Hale Hendlin

Invasive, alien, exotic. These are not neutral biological descriptors. They are politically charged categories that reveal much more about the societies deploying them and the distance those organisms have travelled. It obscures their native relationships in the habitats they evolved, and has a long history of colonialism, where the unfamiliar takes on a menacing tone. Drawing on biosemiotics, environmental philosophy, and the politics of multispecies belonging, Dr Hendlin will discuss the colonial roots and nationalist underpinnings of invasive species discourse, its troubling resonances with the language of human migration, and contrast that with the ecological reality of monocultural fragility, succession ecology, and the question of who has the power to define the meaning of home.

 

 

 

Recipes:

 

Kumi Hiroi

Japanese Knotweed Leaf Tea (Itadori Tea)

 

Flavor
The tea has a mild, roasted flavor similar to hojicha (Japanese roasted green tea). Despite the natural tartness of fresh knotweed, the finished tea is surprisingly smooth and not noticeably sour.

Note
Japanese knotweed contains oxalic acid. Steaming before drying may help reduce its concentration. As with any wild plant, consume in moderation and ensure proper identification before harvesting.

Ingredients:

• Fresh Japanese knotweed (Itadori) leaves
• water

1. Harvest and Clean
Collect fresh young leaves (and tender stems) of Japanese knotweed. Wash thoroughly with water to remove dirt and debris.

2. Steam the Leaves
Place the leaves and stems in a steamer and steam them for several minutes. This process helps reduce bitterness and excess oxalic acid.

3. Knead the Leaves
After steaming, gently knead or rub the leaves by hand to break down the plant fibers and release their aroma.

4. Remove Excess Moisture
Pat the steamed leaves dry with paper towels to remove excess water.

5. Dry-Roast
Place the leaves in a dry frying pan over low heat. Stir continuously and roast until the leaves are completely dry and lightly toasted.
This may take some time because the steamed leaves retain a considerable amount of moisture.

6. Brew the Tea
Add about 1–2 teaspoons of the dried tea leaves to a cup. Pour hot water over the leaves and steep for 3–5 minutes before drinking.

 

Mariko Hori
Sitting in the Same Soup

Japanese-Dutch vegetable miso soup with cardamom (serves 4)

This soup brings together the gentle depth of Japanese kombu dashi and the comforting familiarity of traditional Dutch groentesoep. Vegetables that travelled across lands and histories meet inside the same pot, finished with parsley and cardamom — a small gesture toward migration, adaptation, and shared taste.

 

Ingredients:

 

For the kombu dashi:

• 1 piece kombu (about 10 × 10 cm), 800 ml water
• Vegetables
• 1 carrot, 1 onion, 1 celery stalk, 1 tomato, 1 medium potato, 1 small leek, 1 garlic clove
  Seasoning
• 2–3 tbsp miso (white or mixed miso works well), fresh parsley, finely chopped, a small pinch of ground cardamom

 

1. Prepare the kombu dashi

Lightly wipe the kombu with a damp cloth without removing the white powder, as it contains natural umami. Place the kombu in 800 ml of water and leave it in the refrigerator overnight (around 10–15 hours). The next day, keep the kombu in the pot while cooking for a deeper flavour.

2. Prepare the vegetables

Thinly slice the carrot, onion, celery, potato, leek, and garlic. Cut the tomato into small pieces. Place all vegetables into the kombu dashi and heat gently over medium heat. Just before boiling, lower the heat and simmer softly until the vegetables become tender.

3. Add the miso

Turn off the heat, or keep it at very low heat. Dissolve the miso slowly into the soup using a spoon or small strainer. Do not boil after adding the miso, as this softens its aroma and delicate flavour.

4. Finish

Serve the soup warm. Sprinkle fresh parsley and a small pinch of ground cardamom on top just before serving.