Sprouting between art and sciencethre eart commissions on seeds as the resilient pillars of healthy and sustainable food systems of past, present and future

Resumen

In a context of climate emergency and increasing digitisation of our material reality, art can act as a powerful way of expressing and conveying complex information through engaging and inspiring artwork and experiences. This paper reports on three artistic commissions that were launched in the framework of a research project on sustainable seed systems policy. Seeds are the basis of life and healthy and sustainable food systems. However, we are far removed from their beauty, their cycles and the challenges that characterise these tiny pillars that underpin agriculture and become our food. A call for three artistic commission was launched in 2022 with the objective of communicating scientific concepts about seeds in an original and thought-provoking way, and to move from knowledge to positive action by create bridges of understanding and inspiration. The call had the following three categories: 1. Travelling Seeds, 2. Physical Seeds, and 3. Digitalised Seeds. Reports from three complementary outputs are presented and discussed: a) two art exhibitions of the artworks in 2023, b) three educational guides created to extend the artworks’ impact after the exhibitions, and take the generated knowledge to new younger audiences, and c) the launch of an open-source seed initiative called Semillas Libres in collaboration with Red de Semillas, also exhibited for audiences to take away and sow. The paper concludes with reflections on the process and recommendations for future art-science collaborations.