Stolen Tea

In the service of functionality for human city dwellers, nature in cities has been successfully restrained and concentrated in parks and other smaller plots. This confined and highly curated nature serves humans mainly as a space for rest and relaxation. However, in places where control is temporarily absent, spontaneous ecosystems arise. ‘Stolen Tea’ gathers a collection of tea blends, foraged in diverse types of man-made and spontaneous ecosystems within the city of Eindhoven. Some accessible to the public, others less so. The collection exposes the troublesome legal framework surrounding public property, land and natural resource ownership, which shapes and restricts foraging practices in the Netherlands. The project highlights the functionality, importance and potential these green spaces hold for local wildlife, as well as humans.