NETTLE 101
Nieuw Zwanenburg,  Oirschot (NL)
March 2025 Nettle 101, developed at Nieuw Zwanenburg in Oirschot (NL), explores the multifaceted nature of nettle. As humans, we have a tendency to anthropomorphize nature, attributing human-like qualities to it. This inclination leads us to select certain plants as “friendly” based on their appearance, aroma, or ease of interaction, while others, like nettle, are pushed aside due to their more “challenging” characteristics.
The project offers an invitation to reconsider our approach to nature: by seeing nettle as a partner rather than an adversary, we open ourselves up to the possibility of a mutually beneficial relationship.



The performance takes the form of a tea ceremony, activated in the fields where the nettle was harvested. It draws on the medical research surrounding the plant and on the element of water, in which nettle changes form, becomes liquid and binds itself to the body. During the ceremony, hands flavour the drink through specially designed gloves. They recall the gloves usually worn to approach the plant while harvesting, and the warmth of the tea, which produces the same sensation as its sting.


Authors: Zeus Tutu & Tito Penrose
Edited by: Dusty Acres & Mitch Glitch
92pp, Hardback, 24 × 32 cm
ISBN: 978-82-697000-0-0
Printed by: Cargo® Press Ltd

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