Plant scientists study the adaptive capacities of plants under extreme conditions, as happens when new crop varieties are developed. How far can you take this? Driessens & Verstappen found inspiration for their project in the Herbarium, where the shape of plants is manipulated by flattening them. In Herbarium Vivum the artists do the same with ten living crops: hemp, mustard, cucumber, corn, borage, marrowfat, poppy, tomato, tobacco and potato. They made frames where the plants have to develop themselves into an almost two-dimensional growth form. The plants in the living herbarium will start to resemble their own representations in herbaria and botanical illustrations, as a result of manipulating the growth process.
Herbarium Vivum
Living Herbarium
In the living herbarium different crop plants are growing inside a frame that is almost 2-dimensional. The plants will finally resemble their own representation in herbaria.
Herbarium Vivum overview - Herbarium Vivum, Verbeke Foundation, 2014
With:
Driessens & Verstappen