One autumn morning, an unusual exhibition came to life in the Krakow forest, just below the summit of Sikornik Hill. With the help of friends, climbers and local visitors, I presented three large-format watercolours from her Herbarium series on one of the area’s characteristic Jurassic limestone rocks, known as Strzelnica (Shooting Range).

Bringing the works into the forest became a collective adventure. Climbers, led by Kuba, helped haul the rolled paintings up the approximately 10-metre-high rock, while friends on the ground helped carefully unroll and secure them. What might have seemed like a simple exhibition became a shared action, made possible through cooperation, trust and the willingness of many people to contribute.

Fourteen years after they were created, the three large Herbariums finally found their place in the landscape.

The title Herbarium might initially be misleading. These paintings do not illustrate particular plants, nor does their large format refer directly to traditional botanical catalogues. Instead, the series grew from the experience of looking closely at plants — from a sense of wonder and admiration for the colours, shapes, structures and endless diversity found in nature.

But the artwork was only one part of the project. The community became an active participant in the exhibition, rather than simply an audience. The installation depended on collaboration, and the forest itself became both the gallery and the meeting place.

Strzelnica has a long history. Its name, meaning “Shooting Range”, probably refers to its former use, while today the rock is a popular place for climbers. For local residents, however, it is much more than a climbing spot. When people say, “Let’s meet at Strzelnica,” it can mean a picnic, a climb, a run, a walk or simply spending time together.

This sense of togetherness was an important reason for choosing the site for Herbarium. The exhibition became part of an existing community space — a place where people naturally meet, share experiences and connect with one another and with the landscape.

Herbarium was therefore not simply an exhibition in the forest. It was a collective experience — created through art, nature and the people who came together to make it happen.