Botanoadopt
Symposium:
Session Title:
- Nature, Human, Machine
Presentation Title:
- Botanoadopt
Presenter(s):
Venue(s):
Abstract:
botanoadopt is a participatory interdisciplinary art project at the interface of art, science and social commitment, defines plants as independent beings and offers them for adoption on the internet. A plants-hatch is available for the anonymous local handover for plants. The adoption contract requires adopters to send botanoadopt photos of their fosterlings. These photos are then published at botanoadopt.org, where they offer insight into the socio-cultural environments of the plants.
The humorous contextual displacement makes it possible, to question one’s own definition of nature, and the adoption process establishes links with the theme of responsibility. Artistic thesis is, that plants are beeings with their own perception.
botanoadopt draws on alternative economic models of exchange and donation; questions raised regarding ecological actions are investigated via models surpassing the boundaries of art.
The Internet presence botanoadopt.org is visited worldwide. This site announce plants with an individual biography and personality for adoption. Every plant is posted with phot. Adopting persons have to collect the plants from the former owners by themselves. In this way, people from different contexts are brought into contact with each other – regardless of age, education, occupation, ethnic origin or religion. The biographys are dealing with facts and fiction in a way, that they shift perspectives. They are concerning to actual themes too.
The aim of the project is – simply described – using artistic activities and intervention in everyday life to question and redefine ones definition of nature.
The internetplatform furthermore offers a wide range of articles and useful knowlegde around the themes of plants, nature and biodiversity (Fakten).
The unveiling of the world’s first “Pflanzenklappe” – a babyhatch for plants in Schöppingen brought within one week to about 99,000 entries in google. The Bannwald-Migration (avalanche forest migration) saved 33 trees from the area of the new rhein-main-airport which were planted in Schöppingen/Germany. This artistic work in form of a small forest is called “Bannwald” (avalanche forest).
botanoadopt is noncommercial. Every adopting person has to sign a contract. Adopted plants are living around Germany and all over Europe.
