Brutal Green

An exploration into the psychological effects of having plants in office spaces.

A collaboration with the Czech Centre London.

Video by Anezka Horova.

A hidden gem of London’s brutalist legacy meets the power of houseplants in this new video by visual artist Anežka Horová. A raw yet eerie visual study on the iconic architecture explores the relationship between plants and people in the cities at its most authentic: what happens when offices, too often stripped off all its reminder of human life, are suddenly filled with greenery, concrete pots and indoor gardening tools? The video was made to document a project by a Czech collective Haenke that focuses on multidisciplinary concepts connecting science and arts. In collaboration with Tereza Porybná, director of the Czech Centre London, they developed a way how to bring more greenery into new spaces of the governmental institution that promotes Czech culture in the UK that has just moved to the recently renovated Czech Embassy in Notting Hill. Haenke’s approach puts emphasis on the building’s incredible cultural heritage: built in 1970 by Czech architect Jan Bočan, the brutalist complex received the prestigious RIBA Architecture Award in 1971 and continues to be a landmark for concrete lovers ever since. The aim was to work with concrete on the inside, too, and to juxtapose the material with the immense richness of colours and forms offered by various houseplants. Those were carefully selected from London’s eminent foliage heaven Conservatory Archives, not only to fulfil their aesthetic function, but thanks to their air-purifying capabilities to also improve the quality of working conditions in such a remarkable interiors. The concrete planters – quite a logical material to work with - were provided by Conpot London, a Peckham-based design studio that specializes in hand-cast concrete homeware, each product having a distinct geological identity. A student of visual cultures at the FAMU Academy of Arts in Prague, Anežka has collaborated with the likes of Mercedes Benz Prague Fashion Week, fashion design brand LAFORMELA, and regularly directs music videos of both Czech and international independent artists. In this video, however, it is the Prague-based wunderkind who created the sound to fit directly to her video: based on soundscapes she collected during the installation in London, it provides a murky authenticity to the piece as well as a fresh, sonic perspective on the art of indoor gardening itself. We all need more plants in our lives, and those of us who spend their lifetime working indoors will surely second this claim. According to the Guardian, offices devoid of pictures, souvenirs or any other distractions are "the most toxic space you can put a human into”. A 2014 research by the Exeter University showed that when plants were installed in offices across EU and US, staff worked more efficiently as a result of this, with plants basically improving their memory, concentration, and productivity by 15%. More on Haenke: www.haenke.cz. Many thanks to Tereza Porybná and the Czech Centre London for making this happen! Anežka Horová | www.anezkahorova.com Czech Centre London | london.czechcentres.com Conpot London | www.conpot.co.uk Conservatory Archives | www.conservatoryarchives.co.uk

The Czech Centres are dedicated to promoting and supporting Czech culture abroad, and the Czech Centre in London is in a strategic position given its location. For the team around the then director, Dr. Tereza Porybná, 2017 meant moving from the premises in Covent Garden, a few steps from the Royal Opera House, to the legendary and award-winning Czechoslovak Embassy building in Notting Hill. Its creator, architect Jan Bočan, won the prestigious RIBA award in 1971 for his brutalist building, which is itself a memento of a generation of artists.

The Brutal Green project was the first time we explored the function of plants in interiors - it is often offices devoid of humanity - and the possibilities for distractions such as photos, souvenirs and plants - which, according to the UK's the Guardian, are the most toxic space you could ever put a human being in. According to a 2014 study by the University of Exeter, which looked at quality of life in offices in Europe and the US, a greater concentration of greenery in the workplace increases focus and productivity, with employee memory increasing by as much as 15%.

London's iconic plantshop, the Conservatory Archives, helped select the plants; the hand-poured concrete planters are from design studio Conpot London. They source the material for their products from different geological regions across the UK, resulting in a unique product that has a slightly different weight and colouring each time. The video for the project was made by visual artist Anežka Horová, a graduate of FAMU in Prague. She created the music for the video by gluing together soundtracks that she recorded during the installation of the plants in London.