03/03/2022 A pavilion with a peat moss installation is to be created at this year's Venice Biennale. Together, the artist collective ENSAYOS and scientists from the Greifswald Mire Centre want to draw attention to the importance of moors for people with the project called TURBA TOL - HOL HOL TOL. They bring 250 boxes with the delicate plants on their way. They harvest the peat moss by hand from March 2nd to 4th on a cultivation and research area in the Hankhauser Moor in Lower Saxony. These will equip the Chilean Biennale pavilion. There, particularly in Patagonia, it is important to protect huge areas of previously intact raised bogs from mining projects and infrastructure projects. The protected plants can be supplied by peat moss experts from the University of Greifswald and the Moorkultur Rahmsloh peat factory. Since 2004, they have been researching peat moss together, including on a 17-hectare experimental area for growing peat moss near Rastede in Lower Saxony. On Thursday and Friday 3rd/4th of March, the scientists want to harvest 250 boxes of peat moss together with the New York artist Christy Gast. Then a small act of art follows: the peat moss must have arrived in Venice, undamaged, by March 15th! The Biennale itself begins on April 23rd and runs until November 27th this year. Half a million visitors are expected there. During this time, the mosses will live and grow like in an artificial bog. A specially installed system is intended to monitor and display the growth parameters of the peat moss carpet. It informs visitors about how much carbon accumulates and how much water is needed. In order to acquire the necessary knowledge on moor and climate issues for the installation of the pavilion, artist Gast is currently spending a residency in Greifswald. The city is surrounded by moor, houses the scientific expertise of the Greifswald Mire Centre and, as the birthplace of Caspar David Friedrich, a proud artistic heritage. The residence is funded by the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and Media and the Office for Education, Culture and Sport of the University and Hanseatic City of Greifswald.