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Our kaleidoscope - a look at the garden party

by Maria Wagner

 

The first guests arrive. Hesitant greetings and attempts at orientation. The locations of our festival are spread over the entire property. Small signs, which we printed at the last moment, are intended to give visitors an overview of the exhibition in the house and garden: Pictures of Alexandra can be seen on the first floor in the kitchen and living room, portraits of Peter and paintings of mine in the stairwell . In the garden there are pictures of Uwe, Mira, Peter and me, on tables there are sculptures and curiosities made by Jakob. The concert by Flo and Johannes is to take place in our garage - in the last few days Jakob and I have embellished two graffitis. As the afternoon and evening progress, I will find myself dancing from scene to scene of our transformed home, lingering with longtime companions or more fleeting encounters. 

 

A look at the garden: embedded in the lush vegetation of the late summer, black-and-white photographs stretch from tree to tree on long wires, which seem to capture special and at the same time quiet moments of everyday human life with calm clarity. Pictures of different kinds, telling of tender gestures or untouched nature still transfigured in the morning, frame our vegetable garden hanging on self-made bamboo scaffolding. A fat pumpkin lies under a series of landscape paintings I painted a year and a half ago, my portraits are moved by a light wind. 

 

A short rain shower puts everyone present in a sudden state of readiness for action: pictures are brought to safety, passed on, dried with towels, arranged in the workshop and garage (for this one day as a buffet room and concert location) and rearranged. But soon they can be brought back to their originally intended place and after the excitement you strengthen yourself at the serving table and laugh about the little adventure. A rainbow stretches across a series of photographs. 

 

I am very happy about the guests who have come. Different people from different backgrounds. Some who have been with me for a long time, who have seen me grow up, who have accompanied me or our family through easy and difficult times. People have come who have felt like they have always lived in the same village, but have never seen the inside of our house. Friends and companions I haven't seen for a long time appear, others I only saw days before appear here in a new context. I am fascinated by how people who might otherwise never have crossed paths talk to each other here. Between all the encounters, I always meet Dad or say hello to Johannes before we disappear back into the action. 

 

After a while I have nothing to do for a moment. It is evening and in the fading light I become aware of the beautiful melody to which the festival is composed for me. Pictures, garden, the house, visitors and organizers, the light, the evening sky, everything is woven into something very beautiful, it is almost like a work of art in itself.