“Witches’ Herbarium” is a project that premiered in 2013 during the 5th edition of the NARRACJE festival in Gdansk curated by Rob Garreth. The author of the concept of “Witches’ Herbarium” is Katarzyna Swinarska, however, she undertook its realization together with her friend, artist and illustrator – Grazyna Rigall.
The figure of the witch is an archetype of a woman with knowledge of nature and people, as well as a tender protector – the one who feeds and heals.She is an outsider, an independent woman, deprived of the care and protection of a man. In the “Witch’s Herbarium” project, the witch is an ordinary woman who collects herbs, carries baskets full of fruits, vegetables, mushrooms, cooks and prepares infusions to feed, heal and care for those who cannot take care of themselves. She is a woman who knows and appreciates the properties of herbs, sees their beauty, draws, sings…. Thus, the project is a kind of tribute to the everyday, invisible activities of women.