Mario Bürki

Brassica

If you drive through the Gürbe valley south of Bern in summer or autumn, the unmistakable blue-green mosaic of the Chabis fields characterize the landscape. The Gürbe, which has its source in the Gantrisch region, finds its way to Bern through the valley formed by glaciers in prehistoric times. The conditions for growing cabbage are ideal. For centuries, the landscape has been dominated by fields of cabbage. So it's hardly surprising that most people only talk about Chabisland. My work "Brassica", the Latin word for "cabbage", musically narrates some of the stages of cabbage (white cabbage): From the harvest to transportation by cart and horse, the shredding and pounding (canning) at the famous cabbage festival in Mühleturnen, to the idyllic location with a view of the nearby mountains, where the cycle closes again with the appearance of the new cabbage.