Performative installation with mixed materials

Dimensions variable

With contributions by Anna Pezzoli, Tracy Naa Koshie Thompson, Elene Gelovani, Lizi Kashakashvili

Realised thanks to the support of Sonja Prochorow, Samuel Götschin, Leonie Englert, Romildo Olympio

Courtesy: the artists

La Caoba is an off-the-grid global movement initiated by Larry Bonćhaka (b. 1994, Accra, Ghana) and Sopo Kashakashvili (b. 1994, Tbilisi, Georgia) dedicated to environmental restoration, sustainable community development, and economic empowerment. By integrating large-scale afforestation projects with community-led initiatives, La Caoba aims to create self-sustaining ecosystems where people and nature thrive together.

A space full of life is unfolding at the Frankfurter Kunstverein. A shared dining table anchors the room, a place for breaking bread and building bridges. Workshops, research-based artistic contributions, and materials focusing on agriculture, as well as the trade and transport of food, bring the space to life over the course of the exhibition And This is Us 2025. We collaborate with local farmers, environmental foundations, and fellow creators who, like us, are deeply rooted in the rhythms of nature, reimagining the environment and food as sites of healing and hope.

Our presentation features external contributions from Anna Pezzoli, Tracy Naa Koshie Thompson, Elene Gelovani, and designer and architect Lizi Kashakashvili and was realised with the support of Sonja Prochorow, Samuel Götschin, Leonie Englert, and Romildo Olympio. Together, we transform this space into a living ecosystem—a shared ground for dialogue, action, and collective dreaming.

A shared hunger for change brought us together. Through the universal languages of music and cooking, we found not just common ground, but a shared heartbeat. Trust in each other’s ideas and projects grew organically, weaving a tapestry of collaboration that became a collective. By uniting people with diverse passions, we learned to research together, create performances, stage interventions, give talks, and build something greater than ourselves—a family.

Yet, the questions that drive us remain urgent and unyielding: how can art become a living, breathing force for transformation? What kinds of communities are we shaping when we gather people across divides?

Our work always begins with the personal—our own stories, our autobiographies. We exchange ideas, dig into archives, and engage with objects, architecture, and space as sites of activation. In a world fractured by division and fear, our resistance is rooted in the practice and sharing of our heritages. For us, resistance is not a grand gesture but an intimate act—a shared meal, a conversation, a seed passed from hand to hand.

With La Caoba, our project and movement, we turn our focus to Ghana, where deforestation is a crisis demanding immediate action. This is not just an environmental issue; it is a fight for survival, for heritage, for the future. Your presence and support are not just valuable—they are vital. Join us as we share the flavours of Georgia and Ghana, weaving ancestral healing into a global tapestry.

Food is our weapon of resistance and renewal. By sharing preservation techniques, recipes, and spices, we dismantle borders—both

physical and metaphorical. We reject categorisation and separation, inviting you instead to “root-sharing” ceremonies and collaborative art practices that celebrate connection over division.

Trade, exchange, and commerce have always been the lifeblood of human survival and community. We reclaim these acts, infusing them with purpose. This exhibition is not just a display—it is a call to action, a platform for change.

La Caoba (mahogany in English) is more than a tree. It is resilience embodied. Native to the tropics, mahogany has been shaped into furniture, boats, and musical instruments, its strength a testament to its value. Yet, this very strength has led to its decline. La Caoba is also our son’s middle name, a symbol of growth and legacy. By supporting our project, you contribute to a reforestation and sculpture park project in Prampram, Ghana, Greater Accra Region—a living monument to regeneration.

Text by Sopo Kashakashvili and Larry Bonćhaka

WHY LA CAOBA NEEDS YOUR SUPPORT

Nestled in the coastal town of Prampram, Ghana, this precious stretch of land is rich in biodiversity, cultural heritage, and natural beauty. Named after the majestic mahogany trees (caoba in Spanish) that once flourished here, this land has been a sanctuary for wildlife, a source of medicinal plants, and a vital green space for the community.

Over the years, unchecked development and land encroachment have threatened the existence of plant and soil life. Forests have been cleared, wetlands drained, and wildlife displaced—leaving this ecological treasure at risk of being lost forever.

But there’s still hope. We are dedicated to fighting to fully acquire and protect this land, ensuring it remains a haven for nature, a carbon sink, and a legacy for future generations. By securing this land, we can restore its ecosystems, promote sustainable farming, and create a model for community-led conservation.

This is more than just land—it’s our heritage, our environment, and our future. With your support, we can replenish the land with plants, water and animal life. Our target is to fully acquire the 1 acre land, restore the soil, plant windbreak trees such as acacia, train caregivers and dig a well for water which is non existing in this area. To move the reforestation project forward we need the amount of 25,000 euros.

OUR GOALS AND COMMITMENTS

• 1 acre land acquisition – 15,000 euros
• Soil restoration with compost and nitrogen fixing plants – 2,500 euros
• Planting windbreak trees (acacia, oak and mahogany) – 3,000 euros
• Horticulture training course for caregivers (3 months) – 2,500 euros
• Create access to water for community, plant life and wildlife – 2,000 euros

With your support, by purchasing La Caoba natural products and donating to the Go Fund Me, we can be rest assured of giving new life and inspiring the people of Prampram to join in the movement.

Donate today and be part of this vital mission!

GoFundMe-Link: https://gofund.me/fb6c6e79

Thank you!

Anna Pezzoli

Aliveness, 2025

Soybean sprouts perform the choreography titled Aliveness inside an aquarium.
Directed by the pump – the pulsing heart that keeps the rhythm by puffing air – they spin in quiet loops.

The gaze is drawn in, seduced by transparency, safe in its dry place.
These generative seeds are stuck in circulation. Is spinning a strategy of survival? What if we stop? Would rooting be more generative? Would stillness allow new forms of growth?

Tracy Naa Koshie Thompson

Kanzo Caves, 2025

Kanzo Caves form part of my topographical exploration of the micro-worlds of foods. “Kanzo” in Ghanaian culinary tradition refers to “charred rice”- which is formed at the base of saucepans. The digital terrains for this Virtual Reality exploration are developed from a combination of Digital Elevation Modelling and Microscopy of modified foods. I modify foods made of rice, wheat, and millet into different crystallisation structures, which are reverse-engineered into digital forms. This body of work merges and critiques genres of still-life and landscape to deal with shared morphogenesis and ecology of things at varied scales, inclusive of microbial life and uncanny forms. The terrains also feature the bodies of booklice, which form part of the ecosystem in breaking down the foods I experiment with.

Larry Bonćhaka and Sopo Kashakashvili collaborate as an artistic duo, blending culinary practices, theoretical research, and improvisation at the heart of their work to create immersive, participatory experiences. Both are founding members of the artist and architects collective “commune6x3” and graduated at Städelschule in Frankfurt, Bonćhaka in 2023 and Kashakashvili in 2024.

Their performances and interventions have been presented at Nassauischer Kunstverein Wiesbaden e.V., Wiesbaden (DE), Opelvillen Rüsselsheim (DE), Theater der Welt, Frankfurt am Main (DE), Kressmann Halle, Offenbach am Main (DE), Diamant Museum of Urban Culture, Offenbach am Main (DE), Documenta 15 with commune6x3, Kassel (DE), Künstler*innenhaus Mousonturm, Frankfurt am Main (DE), and Royal Parade Grounds, Kumasi (GH). They have also created interventions in public spaces, hosted dinner performances, worked on fashion shows, and in 2024, initiated a mobile sculpture park project in Kumasi (GH).

Movebank
Two videos, 3D animations
3 min; 1:30 min

ICARUS Basic tag – Wearable for wildlife
Solar-powered, for tracking of acquiring position and velocity, 3D-acceleration, magnetic field vector and temperature.
Plastic
4,5 – 5 g

Courtesy Max-Planck-Institut für Verhaltensbiologie, Rohde & Schwarz INRADIOS GmbH, TALOS GmbH

Movebank is an open-source platform developed by the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior in collaboration with the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, Ohio State University, and the University of Konstanz. The platform assists scientists and wildlife managers worldwide in collecting, managing, sharing, analyzing, and archiving billions of animal movement data and other data-based information relating to animals. Movement data contribute to creating knowledge and understanding of how animals live, how they respond to the growing impact of humans, and how they influence commonly inhabited ecosystems.

Where are animals moving, and why? How does animal behavior affect the ecosystem, and vice versa? How do animals respond to human interventions in the landscape and to changing climate conditions? What measures can be taken to protect and preserve endangered species? These are just some of the questions that scientists worldwide endeavor to get to the bottom of. Human existence depends on biodiversity. It forms the foundation for providing food, clean water, and numerous other ecosystem services that make life on the planet possible. In a time when global biodiversity is declining at an alarming rate, and actions to preserve it are becoming increasingly important, Movebank is a crucial project and tool for gaining knowledge and adjusting our actions accordingly.

Some of the data have been animated for the Frankfurter Kunstverein. They are presented as graphic lines moving on a 3D globe, revealing the routes of numerous animal species during their migrations. Animals travel far across the globe and bridge human-made borders. The lines show where and at what time different animal species are present, revealing a complex global network of habitats and ecosystems.

Biologist and ornithologist Prof. Dr. Martin Wikelski heads the Max Planck Institute for Behavioral Biology. He is also founder of the Icarus project (International Cooperation for Animal Research Using Space), from which the Movebank project emerged. Wikelski’s team follows the concept of an “Internet of Animals”. Thousands of tagged animals are tracked via satellite in their international movements and migrations, recording their positions, even in hard-to-reach areas such as oceans, deserts, or rainforests.

Movebank is a platform open to both scientists and citizen scientists. Anyone can participate and enter observation data into the database, becoming part of an international network. If tagged animals are missing or their location is indicated as stationary, a call can be issued to all community members to help search for animals in the field. The amount of data collected worldwide allows scientists to gain knowledge about animal migration and behavior, understanding complex relationships between human behavior and animals in order to advocate for conservation measures.

Movebank helps identify the impact of human interventions in the landscape and ecosystems and tracks changes in biodiversity. In Germany alone, an estimated one hundred million birds die prematurely due to reflective facades of high-rise buildings or air pollution. On the other hand, knowledge enables endangered species to be protected and recognizes that secure habitats offer them a home once again. Behind each animated light line of Movebank animation are countless individual stories stored in the database. Migratory populations of zebras in western Botswana, for example, have resumed long-distance journeys after years of short, chaotic routes because fences erected for economic purposes were removed. The zebras followed the original routes of their ancestors, even though they had no personal experience of them.

What the Movebank animation can convey is the extent to which human-made spaces, such as national borders, which animals cross, are relative. It also highlights the danger posed by thoughtless ecosystem destruction. The Movebank animation can create a sense of larger connections, much like astronauts experience when they see the Earth from space. They describe feeling a sense of wholeness when they see the planet without political boundaries, but in all its beauty from a distance, making them realize the profound fragility of life on Earth.

If you, dear visitors, are interested in participating in the Movebank project, please contact local environmental or conservation organizations or visit platforms like “Bürger schaffen Wissen” (www.buergerschaffenwissen.de). In Frankfurt am Main, for example, you can reach out to the following organizations: Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, NABU, BUND, or SLInBio – Städtische Lebensstile und die Inwertsetzung von Biodiversität.

Or download the Movebank application on your mobile phone and actively participate in wildlife observation. The mobile Animal Tracker App can display the movements of tracked animals live on your phone. Ctmm: Continuous-Time Movement Modeling offers features for identifying, adjusting and applying random and continuous-time movement models for animal tracking data. Due to its user-friendly interface and accessibility via mobile devices, Movebank is also open to citizen scientists, allowing individuals to participate actively in scientific observations and data entry. Everyone can contribute to observations of animal populations, behaviors, and distribution areas of wildlife and keep records of sightings (online tools: Animal Tracker, Cat Tracker, or Snapshot Europe).

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Franziska Nori and I met at a workshop on the New Senckenberg Natural History Museum in early 2019. Franziska deeply impressed me with her speech. She said “art can open up new perspectives” and ideally “creates ‘sublime moments’ that have transformative character”. Since then, we have maintained close communication, especially regarding the exhibition “Trees of Life”, developed in collaboration with Senckenberg nature museum, and the exhibition “The Intelligence of Plants”. Why do we collaborate? Why do I, as a biodiversity researcher, find it exciting and meaningful to collaborate with the director of an art institution? And what role do “sublime moments” play?

Biodiversity on our planet is under dramatic threat. In the first Global Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), published in 2019, it was scientifically established that of the approximately 8 million species on Earth, 1 million species are threatened with extinction. There is a particularly high level of endangerment with over 60 percent of palm fern species, 40 percent of amphibian species (such as frogs, toads and salamanders), and almost 40 percent of coral species. Furthermore, the populations of many species are declining dramatically. The Living Planet Index, which reflects species’ abundance, shows a decline of over 60 percent over a 50-year period. In Germany and Europe, we observe declines primarily in species of agricultural landscapes, i.e. fields, meadows and pastures, with a nearly 60 percent decrease in bird species over a 37-year period.

In addition to species, also natural ecosystems are disappearing and being converted into human-used and often degraded ecosystems. Half of all ecosystems have already been significantly altered. In the last 30 years, the extent of natural forests has decreased by an area equivalent to twelve times the size of the Federal Republic of Germany. In Germany, only 4 percent of previously extensive peatlands remain as conservation areas.

Changes in biodiversity have consequences for nature’s contributions to people. Biodiversity is the foundation of human life: almost everything we humans use is made available through biodiversity. Material contributions from nature include air to breathe, clean drinking water, food, building materials, energy, fibres and medicines. Regulatory contributions include pollination, seed dispersal, natural forest regeneration, climate regulation and the formation of fertile soils. Finally, biodiversity provides a wide range of non-material contributions: beauty, relaxation, recreation and mental health, spirituality, home and identity. The loss of biodiversity also affects the contributions of nature. According to scientific consensus (IPBES Global Assessment Report 2019), all but three of the 27 subcategories of nature’s contributions are declining; the only contributions increasing are areas for food and animal feed cultivation, energy crops (e.g. oil palm) and materials (e.g. cotton). Ecosystems are clearly managed for short-term human productivity.

What are the causes of biodiversity loss? There are five major direct drivers, the so-called “Big Five” of biodiversity loss. First is land use, primarily agriculture. Agricultural land is currently being massively expanded, especially in tropical countries, leading to the destruction of natural ecosystems such as forests, savannas, grasslands and wetlands. In Germany and Europe, the decline of species in agricultural landscapes is mainly due to intensive agricultural practices, including high use of fertilizers and pesticides, large-scale monocultures and the disappearance of hedges, trees, streams and fallow land. Second is the exploitation of species, mainly affecting the oceans; over 35 percent of commercially exploited fish stocks are currently overfished. In addition, climate change, pollution and the introduction of non-native, so-called “exotic” species are significant drivers.

However, behind these direct drivers are indirect or deep drivers that cause changes in land use and species exploitation. These include demographic and socio-cultural changes, such as population growth, increasing per capita consumption of natural resources and a shift toward a more meat-based diet. Other factors include economic and technological changes, changes in institutions and governance, conflicts and epidemics. These factors include increasing prosperity and the institutional and technological capabilities for global supply chains.

From a scientific perspective, it is clear that the loss of biodiversity and its contributions to humanity are already affecting the health, wealth and well-being of many people today. With further declines in biodiversity and its contributions to people, an even larger population is at risk. But what can we do to initiate a turnaround, to halt further biodiversity loss, and ideally, promote biodiversity again?

At the forefront of measures are international agreements, such as the Convention on Biological Diversity, established at the Earth Summit in Rio in 1992 and subsequently signed by 196 nations. At the 15th Conference of the Parties in Montreal at the end of 2022, known as the World Biodiversity Summit, new targets were agreed upon. These include the goal to effectively protect 30 percent of land and marine areas by 2030, restore 30 percent of degraded land and marine areas by 2030 and promote sustainable land and forest management and fisheries. The great strength of these agreements is that they are international agreements that nearly all countries on earth have agreed to. Unfortunately, there are no legal instruments to enforce these goals: The International Court of Justice does not address these issues, and there is no world police force. Nevertheless, all countries on earth have a moral obligation to implement these goals, and it is the responsibility of civil society and the media to demand their enforcement.

International science-policy interfaces also play a central role in biodiversity conservation. The relevant international interface between science and policy for biodiversity is the aforementioned IPBES. It is the equivalent of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which was established many years ago for the topic of climate. The IPBES assesses the state of knowledge and action options for individual world regions and also globally. A key finding of previous reports is that the protection and promotion of biodiversity cannot be achieved through isolated measures. This means that the establishment of protected areas or the reduced use of pesticides, while good and necessary measures, will not be sufficient to preserve biodiversity. Instead, a socio-ecological transformation is demanded, defined as a fundamental system-wide transformation of society as a whole, including politics, law, economy, science and civil society (IPBES Global Assessment Report 2019).

In addition, there are thousands of scientific publications that have examined the impact of humans on biodiversity and the consequences for ecosystems and people. Biodiversity models play a particularly important role in these publications. These models work similarly to the more well-known climate models: they are parameterized and validated with existing data and established relationships, then used to create alternative future scenarios. These scenarios offer alternative futures that predict a positive development, stabilization or further decline of biodiversity depending on the measures taken. A particularly comprehensive and ambitious study by David Leclère and co-authors from 2020 concludes that with a package of three sets of measures, we can stop the decline of biodiversity by 2030 and achieve an increase in biodiversity by 2050. The packages of measures are: 1. large, well-managed protected areas plus ecosystem restoration, 2. productive but sustainable agriculture and forestry, and more trade, and 3. changes in our consumption and dietary behaviour toward less food waste and, for countries like Germany, a more plant-based diet. This study shows, an increase in biodiversity is possible! This is very positive news. We need positive images and stories for the future.

When addressing changes and measures, it is helpful to distinguish between shallow and deep leverage points in the system (Meadows 1999, Leverage Points: Places to Intervene in a System). Shallow leverage points address parameters, such as the toxicity of pesticides. Deep leverage points address thought patterns and paradigms on which the system is based. Measures taken to protect biodiversity have so far focused more on shallow leverage points, such as establishing protected areas. Measures targeting deep leverage points, on the other hand, are very rarely applied. Admittedly, these deep leverage points are very difficult to access. Nevertheless, approaches to deep leverage points, thought patterns and paradigms have enormous potential to bring about truly deep and sustainable, long-term changes toward better human-nature relationships.

This is where art comes in (among other things). The experience of “sublime moments” can shake a person’s thought patterns so deeply that it can create a willingness to fundamentally question and perhaps even change their own attitudes, preferences and behaviours. This is the reason (or at least one of the reasons) why I collaborate with Franziska Nori as a biodiversity researcher. Deep leverage points in a system are virtually inaccessible to natural scientists, but they may (perhaps) be reached through art.

However, initiating a turnaround in the conservation of biodiversity remains a huge challenge. The design of socio-ecological transformations is complex and complicated. The good news, however, is that everyone can contribute to the necessary transformations. To make the number of possible measures manageable and concrete, Friederike Bauer and I have developed a catalogue of ten measures in our book Vom Verschwinden der Arten: Der Kampf um die Zukunft der Menschheit  (Böhning-Gaese and Bauer 2023, Vom Verschwinden der Arten), which we consider to be the ten most effective based on our collective experience. Each measure addresses different sectors of society:

1. Protect 30 percent of the Earth, with 30 percent of that under strict protection by 2030 (politics and conservation). By 2030, at least 30 percent of the Earth’s surface should be effectively protected (not just on paper), up from the current 17 percent on land and 8 percent in the ocean; 30 percent of that, meaning 10 percent of the total area, should have minimal human intervention – as wilderness. These areas can then serve as arks of biodiversity for the future. …
2. Globally increase the share of organic farming to 25 percent by 2030 (politics and agriculture). Organic farming promotes biodiversity. Currently, it accounts for around 9 percent in Europe and only 1.5 percent worldwide. Expanding organic farming, both in Europe and in the global South, benefits the health of nature, crop plants and animals and therefore, human health.
3. Gradually reduce harmful subsidies for nature by at least $500 billion annually by 2030 (politics). Currently, exorbitant sums are spent on promoting fossil fuels, environmentally damaging agriculture and fisheries. These funds must be redirected to support biodiversity-friendly measures such as rewilding and organic farming, and to mitigate social hardships. …
4. Establish global reporting requirements for companies and the financial sector regarding their impact on biodiversity by 2030 (politics and businesses). Such reporting requirements make the negative (and positive) impact of the economy on nature visible and measurable. This is likely to lead to a change in business thinking, a redirection of investments and new business models. Because: There is no business on a dead planet.
5. Increase the share of Green Bonds financing conservation from the current 3 percent to 30 percent by 2030 (financial sector). Currently, Green Bonds primarily focus on climate protection, such as wind and solar power. While this is fundamentally important, we need more financial products that channel funds into the preservation of nature, biodiversity conservation or organic farming.
6. Radically reduce meat consumption to a maximum of 300 grams per person per week, with a maximum of 100 grams of red meat, preferably from pasture-raised animals (everyone). Currently, around 70 percent of arable land worldwide is used for animal feed, rather than directly serving human nutrition. Reducing meat consumption is a crucial step to free up land for biodiversity or human nutrition, even with further population growth. …
7. Minimize food waste as much as possible (everyone, restaurants, businesses). Europe alone wastes 173 kilograms of food per person per year, roughly half a kilogram per day. Minimizing this practice saves land for cultivation. It also helps discover the value of food, is enjoyable and is easy on the wallet.
8. Spend fifteen minutes a day or two hours a week engaging with nature (everyone). Greening the balcony, growing vegetables, taking walks in the park, going into the woods, discussing herbs with others, etc. This engagement helps develop or maintain a closer relationship with nature and a better understanding of its diverse values. You only protect what you love, and you only love what you know. Moreover, it promotes relaxation, well-being and demonstrable health benefits.
9. Green cities wherever possible; balconies, roofs, sidewalks, courtyards, etc. (municipal administrations, everyone). This benefits biodiversity, cools urban areas and enhances our health and well-being. Diversity is important here too: trees and shrubs with flowers and berries instead of thuja, meadows instead of lawns, deadwood instead of borders – and it can all look a little untidy.
10. Media, films, books, exhibitions and educational materials must seriously engage with nature, neither exaggerating nor ignoring it (journalists, educators and artists). The subject of nature must be integrated into the politics and economics sections of newspapers, not just relegated to the “Miscellaneous” or “Panorama” sections. It is about more than koalas, gorillas and tigers: it is about connections, ecosystems and nature as a foundation of existence. This requires engaging stories and images that reach people in various ways and remind us that every individual matters (Böhning-Gaese and Bauer 2023, Vom Verschwinden der Arten).

We can thus see that art has the potential to contribute to the necessary socio-ecological transformations; and maybe it even has a duty to do so?

Katrin Böhning-Gaese, Director Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre

Dog benches (pups), 2023
Weaven agave fibers, plywood structure
Each 67 x 40 x 45 cm

Totomoxtle, 2023
Polygonal multi-colored corn panels
12 m²

Agave Regeneration, 2019
Video
5:34 min

Totomoxtle – Biomaterial Made from Mexican Heirloom Corn Husks, 2019
Video
7:19 min

Courtesy Fernando Laposse

Fernando Laposse views art as a socio-ecological action. For Bending the Curve, the Mexican artist has conceptualized a room installation spanning over 140 square meters, in which the products of the indigenous Mixteco community are presented as exhibits in a staged landscape. Laposse founded a cooperative with them in the rural area of Tonahuixtla, where he combines local knowledge, ecological restoration, social community life, and sustainable economic practices. The artist revitalizes fallow areas, prevents soil erosion, and advocates for food sovereignty and the protection of cultural plant diversity and indigenous knowledge.

In this exhibition, Fernando Laposse focuses on two natural materials from Tonahuixtla: corn leaves and sisal fiber. These natural products are collectively produced, processed in the traditional manner in the cooperative, and transformed into contemporary artworks when placed in a museum context. The colorful Totomoxtle intarsia panels made from corn leaves are displayed on the wall. The Pink Hammock and the three sculptural dog benches (pups) are crafted from sisal fiber derived from agave plants. The two films, Agave Regeneration and Totomoxtle – Biomaterial Made from Mexican Heirloom Corn Husks, reveal the history of the artworks and the Tonahuixtla community.

Laposse began collaborating with the indigenous Mixteco community in Tonahuixtla in 2015. The rural village is located less than 50 kilometers from the world’s oldest archaeological site of maize domestication—a plant that has always played a central cultural and financial role in the community’s identity. The history of this place is marked by socio-ecological challenges that began in the 1990s with the introduction of hybrid maize seeds and the abandonment of traditional farming methods. This development led to a range of problems, including soil erosion, migration, unemployment, and the loss of agrobiodiversity and endemic plant species, especially maize.

Tonahuixtla is not alone in its history; it exemplifies the fate of countless rural communities in South Asia and Latin America affected by the spread of new agricultural systems. In Mexico, agricultural modernization began in the 1950s with a focus on increasing domestic demand. This led to the intensified use of high-yield but less resilient and adaptable industrial seeds that rely on expensive synthetic fertilizers, pesticides and machinery. In just a few years, Mexico lost 80% of its maize diversity. The consequences of these changes were particularly severe in Tonahuixtla, where the soils were severely depleted, and many residents became dependent on large corporations, leading them to emigrate to the United States to make a living.

Laposse, who had been visiting the Tonahuixtla community since childhood, returned there after studying art in London to find a village on the brink of extinction. To signal change and hope for the community, he initiated Totomoxtle: a socio-ecological artistic project aimed at reintroducing native maize varieties in collaboration with local families who had preserved traditional seed varieties for generations and the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) seed bank in Texcoco, Mexico. In just four years, more than 50 people were employed, and six endangered maize varieties were reintroduced into local agriculture. Working together with the cooperative he founded, Laposse used the colorful leaves of criollo maize, usually agricultural waste, to create intarsia for furniture and interiors. The name of this new material, Totomoxtle, refers to the indigenous Nahuatl word for corn husks. It is veneer, 0.5 to 8 mm thick sheets, typically made from wood and, in this case, from maize farming remnants. After being cut from the plant, corn leaves retain their color and can be flattened or bent due to their fiber structure. The production of Totomoxtle created jobs locally and motivated the community to return to traditional farming practices. Craftsmanship became a driving force for socio-ecological transformation on a small scale.

In a second step, Laposse and the cooperative sought a solution to the severe problem of soil erosion, leading to the reintroduction of agave plants on a 120-hectare area. Up to 150,000 agaves were planted. Their roots can anchor to rocks, preventing soil erosion, storing water in dry soil, and strengthening ecosystem resilience. However, the use of agave plants in Tonahuixtla differs from their typical use in Mexico. Agaves are usually grown industrially to produce the national spirits Mezcal and Tequila. For this, the agave plants are cleared from the fields, and their leaves are left as waste, leading to insect infestations and potential soil harm from excess leaves. In Tonahuixtla, the agave plants are preserved. Only their leaves are harvested and ground to obtain sisal fibers, which are woven into textile sculptures. The three dog benches (pups) sculptures at the Frankfurter Kunstverein showcase the natural “blonde” color of sisal. In contrast, the Pink Hammock sculpture was dyed with a natural pigment. The red pigment cochineal is produced by a beetle that lives on cacti in Central America.

In Laposse’s reforestation project with agaves, the production of textiles from sisal becomes an act of care that distances itself from the conventional textile industry, which depletes natural resources faster than they can regenerate. Laposse’s communal practice goes beyond sustainability, regenerating ecosystems and communities to preserve local biocultural wealth for future generations. He demonstrates the regenerative power of art to address complex issues and shows how art can provoke not only aesthetic but also socio-ecological transformation. Laposse acts in favor of a financially independent community that operates in harmony with the local ecosystem. Landscape and people join up in Tonahuixtla in an ecologically oriented economic cycle, underscoring the importance of awareness and promoting change, not matter at what level it occurs.

The presentation of Fernando Laposse’s work in the exhibition Bending the Curve exemplifies a whole range of artists who use their art to advocate for the preservation of agrobiodiversity and a shift in agricultural practices through local solutions and research approaches. This includes artists like Vivien Sansour with the Palestine Heirloom Seed Library, Marwa Arsanios with her film trilogy Who is Afraid of Ideology?, Jumana Manna with her films Foragers and Wild Relatives, Nida Sinnokrot with the residency program Sakiya – Art/Science/Agriculture, as well as the artist duo Cooking Sections with their art research projects CLIMAVORE and Monoculture Meltdown.

BACKGROUND ON THE FOOD SYSTEM

The climate crisis confronts our food system—agriculture, forestry, fisheries, and aquaculture—with new challenges, such as rising temperatures, wildfires, droughts and floods. What we eat, how much food costs, where land can be cultivated, and how much food people have access to are closely tied to biodiversity and increasingly extreme climate conditions. An essential part of biodiversity is genetic diversity, which allows species and populations to adapt to constantly changing environments. This also opened up a wide range of options of plants for people to use and grow.

The diversity of organisms living in our agricultural ecosystems is referred to as agrobiodiversity. This includes crop plants, livestock, microorganisms and wild plant species. It is largely a cultural heritage created by humans over centuries, making it a unique form of biodiversity. Agrobiodiversity encompasses not only agriculture and food but also history, tradition, identity, culture, geography, genetics, science and craftsmanship. As the genetic foundation for food and agricultural production, our future depends on it. Agricultural diversity enhances the overall resilience of our food systems, allowing for the breeding of more resistant plant varieties that can better withstand challenges like diseases, pests, changing environmental conditions and other threats. Due to global warming, increasingly harmful pathogens that destroy crops and wipe out entire plant species are spreading. However, today, agrobiodiversity is under significant threat, and so is their contribution to the future of human nutrition.

Like the climate crisis, the biodiversity crisis is human-made. The most significant loss of agrobiodiversity began in the 1960s when scientists attempted to improve global food security by increasing the yields of wheat, rice and maize. To cultivate the additional food needed urgently, thousands of traditional varieties were replaced by a small number of new varieties (especially in maize and soybeans). These hybrids were bred using a mix of traditional and genetic engineering methods. The strategy that guaranteed this using new technologies—new seed varieties, more agrochemicals, increased irrigation—became known as the “Green Revolution”. This movement was supported by various organizations and scientists, including the Rockefeller Foundation and the Ford Foundation, as well as agricultural scientists like Norman Borlaug. The Green Revolution spread worldwide, especially in South Asia and Latin America, and marked the beginning of modern industrial agriculture in countries of the Global South. The introduction of hybrid varieties was often associated with intensive use of agrochemicals – fertilisers and pesticides (herbicides, insecticides, fungicides). Just four agrochemical companies control 60% of the global seed market (and 75% of the pesticide market); these companies thus represent huge market power. The dependence on hybrid varieties, fertilisers and pesticides, and in the hands of a few corporations, has often left local communities of small farmers in financial difficulties, losing their resilience and traditional agricultural knowledge. While new practices and new scientific knowledge have alleviated acute hunger problems in many regions, biodiversity, local food systems, social justice and the health of soils, ecosystems and water bodies have taken a back seat. The Green Revolution spread worldwide, particularly in South Asia and Latin America, marking the beginning of modern industrial agriculture in countries of the Global South. The introduction of hybrid varieties sometimes intensified the use of agrochemicals—fertilizers and pesticides (herbicides, insecticides, fungicides). Only four agrochemical companies control 60% of the global seed market (and 75% of the pesticide market); these companies thus represent huge market power. Due to their reliance on hybrid varieties, fertilisers and pesticides and in the hand of a few corporations, local small-scale farming communities often faced financial difficulties, losing their resilience and traditional agricultural knowledge. While the new practices and scientific knowledge were able to alleviate acute hunger issues in many regions, in the long run they sidelined biological diversity, local food systems, social justice, and the health of soils, ecosystems and water bodies.

In response to the negative effects of globalization and industrialized agriculture, protest movements by farmers, agricultural laborers, and indigenous communities emerged in the 1990s, opposing industrialized global agriculture and prioritizing local solutions. They propagated the concept of food sovereignty, which challenged the dominant model of food security as a priority. Food sovereignty refers to the right of individuals and communities to have control over their own food systems, including how food is produced, distributed and consumed. The focus is on local and traditional knowledge and sustainable agricultural practices (agroecology).

Today, several plant species familiar to us from our daily lives are affected by the loss of agrobiodiversity. A well-known example is the story of bananas. Of the over 100 species of Musa paradisiaca (banana) that evolved through natural selection, the seedless Gros Michel was grown and spread worldwide. After Gros Michel plantations were nearly wiped out by a soil fungus, the industry turned to a fungus-resistant variety: the Cavendish banana. However, as a single variety, it is susceptible to new fungi and pathogens at any time. More and more plants that have been reduced to a few varieties are exposed to the dangers caused by climate change: popular examples include Hass avocados, Arabica coffee, cocoa, as well as apples and potatoes, and many more. But above all, plants on which global nutrition depends are at risk of losing their diversity: wheat, rice, and maize. With many farming systems optimised for high yields, people today have major challenges – yields and profits have been optimised in the short term, but in the long term the diversity, resilience and robustness of the farming system has been undermined.

However, there are good opportunities to improve the agricultural system again. In parallel with the Green Revolution, there have been efforts worldwide for decades to preserve species and variety diversity in gene or seed banks. Seed banks are a resource for maintaining at least part of the historically grown agrobiodiversity; with great potential for future food security. There, researchers can find populations and old varieties to breed more climate- or pest-resistant varieties that are better able to cope with current environmental changes, now and in the future. There are now approximately 1,700 seed banks worldwide that house collections of plant species, invaluable for scientific research, education, conservation, and the preservation of indigenous cultures.

The concept of gene banks has proven moderately successful in rescuing staple foods, but it has been much less successful for vegetables and fruits. And while storing seeds under carefully controlled conditions is not easy but feasible, many foods like coffee, apples, peaches and vanilla must be preserved as plants or trees, posing an even more complex and expensive challenge. One solution could be to bring diversity from seed banks back to the fields of farmers, where old varieties can once again become part of the diversity of varieties and further develop our agrobiodiversity.

In the future, we will need a variety of different approaches to have enough good, healthy food available. On the one hand, we need highly productive varieties grown in climatically favourable conditions on good soils, as in Ukraine; this plays an important role in global food security. On the other hand, we need to use local and indigenous knowledge, rediscover traditional varieties and develop them further. It is of great advantage to use techniques that mimic nature, that rely on varietal diversity, diverse crops and landscape diversity, as well as natural pest control. Applying traditional knowledge does not mean going back to the past; it means looking at the various food systems that people have preserved for millennia in harmony with nature and considering how these practices can best be applied and developed within local approaches in the modern 21st-century food system.

Fernando Laposse (*1988, Paris, FR) is a Mexican artist with a degree in product design from Central St. Martins in London (UK). Today, he resides and works between Mexico City (MX) and Tonahuixtla (MX), where he has been collaborating on social-ecological projects with the Mixtec community since 2015. The works created in collaboration with them have been exhibited in numerous international museums and festivals, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York (US), the Victoria and Albert Museum in London (UK), the Triennale di Milano (IT), the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum in New York (US), the World Economic Forum in Davos (CH), and the Dutch Design Week in Eindhoven (NL). He has been nominated for numerous international awards and won the Future Food Design Award 2017 from the Dutch Institute of Food and Design in Eindhoven (NL).

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Bending the Curve of Biodiversity Loss, 2020
Infographic from: Leclère D, Obersteiner M, Barrett M, Butchart SHM, Chaudhary A, De Palma A, DeClerck FAJ, Di Marco M, et al. (2020). Bending the curve of terrestrial biodiversity needs an integrated strategy.
Courtesy Adam Islaam | IIASA

Plant and animal species across the world are steadily disappearing due to human activity. According to a major IIASA-led study, turning the tide of biodiversity loss by 2050 or earlier will not be possible without ambitious, integrated action that combines conservation and restoration efforts with a transformation of the food system. The study was a milestone in the use of models and scenarios to explore potential futures for biodiversity, with the results providing key information to the design of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework adopted at the end of 2022. Such methods can be further employed to shed light on what fair action towards climate, biodiversity and human development goals might look like.

Biodiversity – the variety and abundance of species, along with the extent and quality of the ecosystems they call home – has been declining at an alarming rate for many years. Clearly, we cannot allow the current trend to continue. If it does, there will simply not be enough nature left to support future generations. While ambitious targets have been proposed, practical issues such as feeding the Earth’s growing human population could make achieving such targets an insuperable challenge.

The study was published in Nature and provided input to the 2020 and 2022 World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Living Planet Reports. For the first time it set out to explore biodiversity targets as ambitious as a reversal in global biodiversity trends and to shed light on what integrated future pathways to achieving this goal might entail.

The authors wanted to assess in a realistic manner whether it might be feasible to bend the curve of declining terrestrial biodiversity due to current and future land use, while avoiding jeopardizing our chances to achieve other Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). If this were indeed possible, they also wanted to explore how to get there and what type of actions would be required. The idea was also to examine combining various types of actions that might reduce trade-offs among objectives and instead exploit synergies.

Using multiple models and newly developed scenarios to explore how addressing these elements when integrated might help reach biodiversity targets, the study provided key information on pathways that could materialize the 2050 vision of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity – “Living in harmony with nature”. For global trends of terrestrial biodiversity as affected by land use change to stop declining and start recovering by 2050 or earlier, the researchers highlighted that action is needed in two key areas:

• Bold conservation and restoration efforts together with increased management effectiveness will have to rapidly be stepped up. The study assumes that protected areas quickly reach 40% of global terrestrial areas. This should happen in tandem with major efforts to restore degraded land (reaching about 8% of terrestrial areas by 2050 in the study scenarios) and land use planning measures that balance production and conservation objectives on all managed land. Without such efforts, declines in biodiversity may only be slowed down rather than halted and any potential recovery would remain slow.
• Food system transformation: As bold conservation and restoration efforts alone will likely be insufficient, additional measures are needed to address global pressures on the food system. Efforts to bend the curve of global terrestrial biodiversity include reduced food waste, diets that have a lower environmental impact, and further sustainable intensification and trade.

Integrated action would however need to be taken in both areas simultaneously to effectively bend the biodiversity loss curve upward by 2050 or earlier.

The results showed that in a scenario with increased conservation and restoration efforts alone, almost half of biodiversity losses estimated in the counterfactual business-as-usual scenario could not be avoided; moreover, a bending was not observed for all models, and when it did occur, it was often only in the second half of the 21st century. In addition, the study found that bold conservation and restoration efforts alone might even increase the price of food products, thereby potentially hampering future progress on eliminating hunger.

Conversely, scenarios that combined increased conservation and restoration efforts with efforts to transform the food system showed that opportunities for ambitious conservation and restoration efforts were greater, and potential adverse food security impacts defused, thereby securing a bending of global trends in global terrestrial biodiversity as affected by land use change by 2050. Finally, such transformative change in food and land use systems would also deliver significant co-benefits. These include a major contribution to ambitious climate mitigation targets, reduced pressure on water resources, reduced excess of reactive nitrogen in the environment, and health benefits.

The study further pointed out that unmitigated, emerging threats to biodiversity such as climate change and biological invasions may become as important in the future as land-use change – the largest biodiversity threat to date. A true bending of biodiversity losses will necessitate ambitious climate change mitigation that exploits synergies with biodiversity, rather than further eroding biodiversity.

The landmark paper’s results are reflected in the recently adopted Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, a multilateral agreement crystalizing internationally agreed outcome and action targets to bend the curve of biodiversity loss within the coming decades. Much scientific work is needed, however, to support its successful implementation, along with the goals of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change’s Paris Agreement.

A key topic to unlock the transformative change required by these two agreements is the equitable distribution of efforts in the transition to a nature-positive future. Developed nations, which are responsible for a significant portion of historical greenhouse gas emissions and nature degradation, and have greater resources, should, according to equity principles, make proportionately larger contributions to climate and biodiversity action and funding gaps. Securing the recognition and inclusion of marginalized actors, such as indigenous people and local communities, will be instrumental in achieving a fair transition.

In the pursuit of sustainability, it is important to consider both positive and negative impacts on people’s lives and livelihoods. The focus must be on reducing existing inequalities and injustices. Achieving this requires acknowledging the values, rights, and interests of all individuals, shifting towards rights-based governance, ensuring inclusive representation, and systematically assessing how actions distribute costs and benefits among different actors. Models and scenarios can prove instrumental in such an exploration of alternative futures for nature and people.

Overall, the Bending the Curve of Biodiversity Loss study showed that the world may still be able to stabilize and reverse the loss of nature. But to have any chance of doing that as early as possible we will need to make fair and transformational changes in the way we produce and consume food as well as bolder, more ambitious conservation efforts. If we do not do this, and just continue with business as usual, we will end up with a planet unable to support current and future generations of people.

Reference: Leclere D, Obersteiner M, Barrett M, Butchart SHM, Chaudhary A, De Palma A, DeClerck FAJ, Di Marco M, et al. (2020). Bending the curve of terrestrial biodiversity needs an integrated strategy. Nature DOI: 10.1038/s41586-020-2705-y

Pollinator Pathmaker, 2021
Online Tool pollinator.art
© Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg Ltd

Courtesy the artist

Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg, who works at the intersection of art, ecology, and technology, has created a new series of works for the Frankfurt Kunstverein. Five large-scale prints depict the different seasons of as yet unrealised Pollinator Pathmaker living artworks. The chosen perspective of her pictures is that of pollinating insects. Pollinator Pathmaker is Ginsberg’s ongoing artwork in which the artist transforms plots of earth into biodiverse landscapes. She developed an algorithm that creates  site-specific planting schemes, that once planted, become living artworks for other species. The algorithm designs planting not on human aesthetic criteria, but on the needs and foraging styles of pollinating insects, including bees, wasps, moths, beetles and butterflies. The selection of plants is based on the specific bioregions where Pollinator Pathmaker “Plant Palettes” have been commissioned so far – currently Atlantic Europe and Continental Europe. These plant lists are researched and curated by the artist, working with horticulturists and pollinator experts.

Each garden is a unique creation with a one-off planting plan that supports the maximum diversity of local pollinator species. The artist refers to the technology she created as an “altruistic algorithm” or an “empathy tool”, since its prioritization was designed to maximize benefits for pollinators, not humans. Factors such as pollinator types, flowering times, plant compatibility, flower shape, and their visual perception spectra of color frequencies are considered. The algorithm calculates the selection and arrangement of plants with flowering across the year and different foraging styles are catered for: Some insect species memorise the most efficient routes between flowers to collect as much nectar as possible with minimal energy expenditure, while others explore more randomly.

For Bending the Curve, five large-scale prints have been generated of unrealised planting schemes, none of which depict the human perspective. Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg digitally paints each plant that appears in her Plant Palettes, making it possible to visualise each potential living artwork in a virtual space before it is planted. Ginsberg has flown through the digital gardens and chosen the viewpoint of pollinators, i.e., from a low flight or ground angle. The colors of the flowers infer the different colour perception spectra of different insect species. Ginsberg deliberately breaks with the principles of classical landscape painting. One could almost think of it as an extreme expansion of the concept of English landscape gardens. In the 18th century, these gardens broke with the mathematically geometric arrangements that characterized the then-dominant French Baroque gardens to approximate the natural arrangement of plants.

Despite the use of technology, Ginsberg explicitly distances herself from the idea of solving climate and biodiversity crises through so-called techno-fixes. Rather, she advocates for fundamental changes in human behavior, political decisions, and economic actions. Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg’s work is guided less by an idea of reparation than by one of caring for our non-human co-inhabitants. Pollinator Pathmaker aims for a change in perspective both in the observation and design of our interaction. To detach from a purely human, anthropocentric view means to perceive and acknowledge the diverse worlds of non-human creatures.

Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg represents an understanding of art that focuses not only on the artwork itself but on an attitude. She creates long-term projects based on scientific foundations, intervening in real societal space through an expanded concept of art. Pollinator Pathmaker activates people and engages them in community planting actions. Living works emerge on the surfaces as social sculptures in public spaces that transcend individual species. For this, she actively seeks collaboration with cultural institutions. For example, on behalf of the LAS Art Foundation, a Pollinator Pathmaker artwork has been planted in the forecourt of the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin, another in Kensington Gardens for the Serpentine Gallery in London, and a third one at the Eden Project in Cornwall, UK. Ginsberg views each commission as an art edition of a continuously growing series of living, process-based artworks.

Wishing to share her knowledge, the artist makes the Pollinator Pathmaker algorithm available to the public on the pollinator.art website. Visitors to the site can create their own planting plan, ranging in size from a flower box to an area of 15 x 15 meters. The algorithm calculates individual designs for planting based on the size and geographical location of the area, soil type, light, and exposure. The system generates a unique design, provides a planting guide and basic information on recommended plants, their development in different seasons; it also visualizes the garden both from a human perspective and that of pollinators using Ginsberg’s digital paintings.

Ginsberg’s vision is to generate as many collaborators as possible to use Pollinator Pathmaker to create site-specific artworks for insects across the globe. The ultimate goal is a globally distributed artwork with collective authorship that is used by non-human creatures. Each edition would serve as another stepping stone for pollinators, contributing to the creation of a cross-border artwork and network.

Regeneration, as advocated by environmentalist Paul Hawken in his book “Regeneration: Ending the Climate Crisis in One Generation”, means placing life at the center of every action and decision made by society. At the heart of this lie ethical questions concerning species and the need for practical solutions. Examples would be how humans and other beings can fairly share spaces, and how best to radically reset and reorient our relationships with, for example, insects. It would mean acknowledging that all growth is based on reciprocity.

In contemporary art, artists have been contributing ideas and practical instructions for regenerative approaches for years. Regenerative action calls for a rethinking of how we shape and create the environment already built. Such actions contribute fresh ideas to improving the resilience of society, restoring the health of the planet, and renewing ecological systems. In this context, Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg’s work, Pollinator Pathmaker, represents a pioneering outlook—a stance of empowerment in the fight to preserve biodiversity.

POLLINATORS AND FLOWERS: A (NOW ENDANGERED) SYMBIOSIS OF OVER 200 MILLION YEARS

Bees, butterflies, moths, flies, beetles, and wasps are among the pollinating insects, of which there are 350,000 species worldwide. They land on flowers to drink nectar or feed on pollen, transporting pollen grains from place to place. This helps plants in their reproduction and distribution. Since plants cannot move, they “cooperate” with insects to ensure their own existence. The sheer beauty of flowers, including their vibrant colors, is crucial in attracting pollinators. Insects are particularly drawn to blue colors, which are rare in nature. Some flowers create optical effects such as iridescence to attract them. Scent also plays a central role.

New research at Tel Aviv University (Prof. Lilach Hadany, Molecular Biology Ecology of Plants, Faculty of Life Sciences) focuses on phytoacoustics, the study of the effect of sounds on plants. These researchers’ findings show that flowers perceive vibrations from approaching insects and respond by producing sweeter nectar for them. This type of symbiotic relationship is called “mutualism”. Indeed, the reciprocity between plants and pollinating insects has accelerated the evolution of flowering plants. They are able to adapt to the physical characteristics of insects within a few generations.

Wildflower meadows are among the ecosystems with the highest biodiversity. One-third of native plant species, pollinating insects, and other animal species live in wildflower meadows. In the last century, approximately 98% of wildflower meadows disappeared due to land sealing, conversion of land into monocultures for agro-industrial agriculture, intensive use of manure and synthetic fertilizer, and short mowing intervals. With state financial support and substantial funding from tax revenue and EU subsidies, nutrient-poor meadows are being transformed into profitable grasslands. The threat to wildflower meadows as habitats is directly linked to the decline of pollinating insects.

A decline in pollinator insect biodiversity is also directly linked to a decline in plant diversity. The rapid decline of species impoverishes ecosystems and, ultimately, it threatens human survival. After all, pollinators support ecosystems and three-quarters of the world’s food system. A new mindfulness for the needs of insects would mean securing our life on the planet – not only because these creatures benefit humans (nature for people, IPBES), but also because they have value by their very existence (nature for nature, IPBES). The value of a living being cannot only be measured in monetary terms.

Taking into account that land use change is a direct trigger for species extinction, the destruction of ecosystems and thus the disappearance of insects, the return of space to nature is a regenerative solution approach called for by numerous international scientists (Bending the Curve of Biodiversity Loss; IPBES; Club of Rome).

Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg (*1982, London, GB) is a multidisciplinary artist based in London. She holds a PhD in Design Interactions from the Royal College of Art, London (GB), and a Master’s degree in Architecture from the University of Cambridge (GB). For many years, Ginsberg has been exploring our intricate relationships with nature and technology. Through various themes such as artificial intelligence, synthetic biology, conservation, and evolution, she investigates the human drive to improve the world, while neglecting the natural world around us. Her project “Pollinator Pathmaker,” launched in 2021, was awarded the S+T+ARTS Grand Prize 2023 for Artistic Exploration at Ars Electronica. Her works can be found in international collections, including the Art Institute of Chicago (US), the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum in New York (US), and ZKM Karlsruhe (DE). She has exhibited in numerous international institutions including MoMA New York (US), Centre Pompidou (FR), Bozar – Palais des Beaux Arts, Brussels (BE), Serpentine Galleries, London (GB), Vitra Design Museum, Weil am Rhein (DE), and The Royal Academy of Arts, London (GB). And recent solo exhibitions include presentations at the Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin (DE) and the Toledo Museum of Art, Toledo (US).

Walter R. Tschinkel is a US biologist who conducts research in the field of sociobiology and behavioral ecology of social insects, particularly ants. Tschinkel’s decades of work have contributed significantly to a deeper understanding of ants’ way of living. He has devoted special attention to their nest architecture. His studies have revealed how ants regulate temperature and humidity within their nests. The exhibition features six objects from Walter R. Tschinkel’s collection, which the scientist created for research institutions. The objects concerned are aluminum and tin casts of six underground nests. Each nest was built by a different population, all living in the same 30-hectare habitat in the sand dunes of the pine forests located on the coastal plains of North Florida. In this region, there are up to 50 different ant species living in hundreds of populations.

Walter Tschinkel’s interest lies with this specific space, which he calls “the ant paradise” because it allows him to reveal biodiversity. In this limited area, ants have developed various characteristics and abilities. For example, the Florida Harvester ant has specialized in collecting plant seeds and created a quite different habitat than the tiny Pheidole adrianoi, which lines its nest chambers with fungi. Nocturnal species can coexist with diurnal ants, specializing in different types of food; some collect caterpillar feces, while others gather dried insect parts to nourish their fungal gardens. Worker ant body sizes can vary by up to a hundredfold, as can colony sizes, meaning ants construct their nest architectures differently.

These various species share the same habitat and adapt in such diverse ways that they can coexist in an extended community.

The selection of casts in the exhibition illustrates how nature creates diversity and what exactly diversity is. At first glance, the architectures may appear different, but Tschinkel’s research reveals that nest-building ants create individual variations of the same basic plan. This basic structure—a vertical shaft with one or more horizontally connected chambers—traces back to the hunting wasp from which ants evolved.

Almost all modern ant nests follow this ancestral pattern. Diversity arises from many small modifications of a basic model.

Ants are essential beings for ecosystems due to their populations’ high adaptability and collective intelligence. They aerate soil, contribute to humus formation, dispose of dead organisms and parasites, distribute seeds, and cultivate fungal species in an act of symbiotic welfare. Scientists are increasingly interested in ants due to their biochemical bacterial film which protects them from diseases and fungal infections. They are true masters of recycling and logistics.

The Frankfurter Kunstverein often presents scientific specimens and artworks in shared spaces in its exhibitions. Both art and science can render insights and ideas physically experienceable through their actual manifestation. Visibility generates understanding.

Tschinkel’s cavity casts create a unique bridge between scientific specimens and sculptural objects. They condense knowledge based on many years of observation and data collection. Tschinkel does not view ants solely as objects of scientific curiosity, but as fellow inhabitants and co-creators of a shared world. In the exhibition, the nest casts serve as objects of knowledge and simultaneously as matter transformed by complex life processes, beings who have existed on this planet for millions of years.

INFORMATION ABOUT THE INDIVIDUAL ANT SPECIES REPRESENTED IN THE NEST CASTS

CAMPONOTUS SOCIUS
This is the largest ant species in Tschinkel’s area. When excavating their nests, the ants scatter the dug-out soil in a fan-like pattern, making their nest openings easily discoverable at the base of clumps of grass. The nests can be over a meter deep or as shallow as 30 cm, but they are always sturdy. Colonies have a single queen, who may inhabit up to 15 nests in the summer. Towards the end of the season, they abandon all but one or two nests for overwintering. The female workers usually forage individually for honeydew from aphids and mealybugs, bringing the liquid back to the nest. Like other Camponotus ants, their larvae pupate within a silken cocoon they create themselves.

POGONOMYRMEX BADIUS
One of the larger ant species found in the dry, sandy soils of the coastal plains from North Carolina to Mississippi. Their nest chambers are distinctive because the older workers in the area collect charcoal pieces and deposit them on the nest disc. The black nest disc stands out as a result from the white sand in which the nest is constructed. From April to November, older workers leave the nest at 8 am to collect seeds from up to 50 different plant species and prey insects. They deposit everything in the upper nest chambers, from where younger workers transport the collected items to lower chambers or to the larvae in the lower third of the nest. Since the seeds are too large for the ants to open, they wait for them to germinate. Germination varies depending on the season, species and soil temperature.

All ant populations exhibit strict division of labor. This is based on an ant’s age and runs parallel with its location within the nest. Young workers are born in the lower third of the nest and spend the first phase of their lives caring for the brood. As they age, they move up and down the nest, performing more general tasks like food transport, seed storage and digging the chamber. They collect and transport the food brought into the nest and distribute it within the nest. Only the oldest workers leave the nest in search of food, with a remaining life expectancy of about three weeks. Within the nest, a constant upward movement of aging workers can be observed, with the older ones replacing those that die during foraging expeditions. Death occurs not primarily due to old age but because of environmental strains like heat, dehydration, or territorial conflicts.

Harvester ant nests are the largest and most intricate. They can reach depths of up to three meters and feature spiraling tunnels connecting pancake-like chambers. The chambers near the surface are densely packed and highly complex, while those at greater depths are simpler and more spaced out. Seed chambers can generally be found at intermediate depths between 40 and 100 cm. On average, a colony relocates once a year, usually in the summer. They do not move far; the new nest is typically about four meters from the old one. The new nest is similar in size and architecture to the old one, which raises the question as to why they move. Remarkably, excavating the new nest and transferring all the contents of the original nest (including seeds) to the new location takes only four to six days. Most of Tschinkel’s nest casts were made from recently abandoned nests, sparing the colonies from destruction.

These colonies have remarkable longevity, reaching maturity at around 4-5 years, with a life expectancy of over 30 years. The colony’s lifespan is closely tied to that of the queen, who serves as the mother of all ants throughout the colony’s existence. Mating only once at the beginning of her reproductive life, she stores a lifetime supply of sperm in a small sac called a spermatheca, obtained through mating with a dozen or more males. All females develop from fertilized eggs, while males come from unfertilized eggs (as is typical all for ants, wasps, and bees).

TRACHYMYRMEX SEPTENTRIONALIS
This is one of two fungus-growing ant species in the Sandhills habitat. Its range extends to Long Island, NY, and Illinois. The workers have spiky, bulbous bodies and move slowly but are extremely numerous, with up to 1,000 populations per hectare. Nests are easy to spot because excavated sand is piled up in a crescent shape on one side of the opening. If the pile is removed, the ants will redistribute the sand in the same direction. On sloping terrain, the crescent is typically downhill. When the ants encounter a prominent landmark near their nest, they align their sand pile with it. Hence, they navigate visually. The following question remains unanswered: the sand mound is reached by workers, who obviously coordinate the orientation. How this happens has not been investigated to date.

In nests around 150 cm deep, ants cultivate their fungus in egg-shaped chambers. They allow it to grow on a substrate of plant debris and caterpillar feces. The fungus is the sole food source for these ants and their larvae.

Around October, the ants disassemble and discard their fungus gardens. As the ground warms throughout the summer, the ants dig deeper chambers and relocate their gardens, filling the higher chambers with excavated soil. Despite their small size, these ants move approximately one ton of soil per hectare per year, thus playing an important role in soil mixing.

FORMICA DOLOSA
These ants are large, dig compact nests, and primarily feed on honeydew from aphids and scale insects. Their workers are fast and agile, and can be quite aggressive. Their light coloration suggests that they are mainly active at night. Workers possess large poison glands in their jaws and can spray formic acid, which smells like vinegar, to defend themselves. However, their nests, located just below the ground’s surface, are easy prey for armadillos and skunks. Some populations tend and guard aphids and scale insects, cultivating them for honeydew. These ants then feed the harvested honeydew to other workers called “tanker” ants, which shuttle between the aphid plant and the nest. In some populations, these ants guard the aphids around the clock.

PHEIDOLE MORRISI
This species forms large colonies with up to 80,000 workers. They build mounds above their underground nests, consisting of up to four shafts with small, closely spaced side chambers. In flatwood areas, the water table limits the nest’s depth. The ants and their brood are dependent on soil temperature and humidity. The population defends its boundaries against neighboring colonies.

CYPHOMYRMEX RIMOSUS
The ability to cultivate fungi as a food source has only been observed in American ants according to current knowledge. In the area Tschinkel studied, he found two species: Cyphomyrmex rimosus and Trachymyrmex septentrionalis. The former originally migrated from Argentina, where it is widespread. Fungus-growing ants feed on materials not utilized by other ants, particularly dead insects. They construct structures on which a yeast-like fungus grows, which they consume. The larvae are kept in chambers separated from the fungus gardens. Typically, the fungus grows in a filamentous form, but when ants cultivate it in gardens, it assumes a different, cell-like form.
Like most other fungus-growing ants, the workers carry multiple species of bacteria and fungi on their body surfaces, producing antibiotics to suppress the growth of parasitic fungi in their gardens.

The nest architecture of this ant species differs from its counterparts, appearing irregular, without true chambers, seemingly chaotic. The reasons behind this remain unclear, as most other ant species tend to build egg-shaped chambers to house their fungal gardens.

Mating flights occur in early summer. Males form a floating swarm with females flying in the center. Mature, winged females carry a piece of fungus from their birth nest on their mating flights. When establishing a new nest through digging, they create a structure using dead insect parts, on which they plant the fungal pieces and so start a new garden.

Walter R. Tschinkel (*1940, Lobositz, CZ) is a US-American biologist, myrmecologist, entomologist, and R.O. Lawton Distinguished Professor Emeritus at Florida State University in Tallahassee (US), where he taught for over 40 years. He is the author of the Pulitzer Prize-nominated book The Fire Ants (Harvard University/Belknap Press 2006), the book Ant Architecture: The Wonder, Beauty, and Science of Underground Nests (Princeton University Press 2021), and more than 150 original research papers on the natural history, ecology, nest architecture, and organization of ant societies. In the early 2000s, he began researching the architecture of underground ant nests and pioneered the use of molten aluminum and zinc for making casts in the field. His casts have been displayed worldwide, including in museums in San Francisco, New Orleans, New York, Houston, Minneapolis, Washington, DC, the E.O. Wilson Biophilia Center in West Florida, San Diego (US), Birmingham, as well as in Paris (FR), Amsterdam (NL), Milan (IT), and Vancouver (CA). In his retirement, Walter continues his ant research on a smaller scale, sharing his insights through YouTube videos and short essays in a Substack newsletter.

Colony of atta leaf cutter ants
System of tubes and cubes with ants, food chambers, waste chambers
Various sizes
Courtesy Dr. Johannes Köhler, Zoo Frankfurt

Thanks to a collaboration with Frankfurt Zoo, the Frankfurter Kunstverein presents a colony of leafcutter ants that will inhabit the exhibition rooms for the duration of the exhibition. Guided by curator Dr. Johannes Köhler, Frankfurt Zoo has raised the ant colony up in glass enclosures. This allows visitors to observe up close the complex lives of these animals, which typically occur underground. Leafcutter ants are native to the tropical rainforests of Central and South America. They live in a complex yet highly efficient symbiosis with fungi. This reciprocal mode of existence enables both species to support or even make possible each other’s life functions. The symbiosis is so close that the two cannot exist without each other. Leafcutter ants are one of several ant genera that have developed this way of living.

Ants are an essential part of functioning ecosystems. They cultivate other insects (coexistence), feed on them (pest control) among other sources, spread plant seeds, dispose of dead organisms, and aerate soils with their complex burrows. They transport large amounts of nutrients to deeper soil layers, making them more fertile. Ants process substantial amounts of green plants, helping to maintain the nutrient cycle and promoting vegetation growth.

SYMBIOSIS
Working collectively, the large leafcutter worker ants use their mandibles to cut plants into smaller pieces and bring them into their nests. In specialized chambers, the ants cultivate so-called “fungus gardens”. The small worker ants in these chambers then chew the leaves into a pulpy mass, which serves as a substrate for the fungi. They carefully groom the surface of the fungal network, cleaning it of spores and fungal threads from other mold species. They repeatedly pluck small pieces from the fungal structure to feed to their nestmates. They also place new fungal threads on fresh plant material to cultivate more cultures. The ants also fertilize the fungus with waste products and their feces. The plant components, hard to digest, are collected by the ants and rooted, then decomposed by the fungal mycelium, converting them into a digestible substrate for the ants. Studies suggest that the ants carry bacteria on their bodies that not only inhibit the growth of harmful fungi but simultaneously fertilize the nutrient fungus as well.

In return, the fungus forms protein-rich nodules at its ends, providing the ants with proteins to feed their larvae. Additionally, the fungi break down the cellulose in plants, making it digestible for the ants. The fungus is able to break down toxins harmful to ants. The growth of the fungus depends directly on the food supply and the number of workers caring for it. The size of the ant community, in turn, is proportional to the size of the mycelium. The queen, through the number of larvae she lays, ensures that the population in the nest corresponds to the available food supply.

ARCHITECTURE OF ANTNESTS
Leafcutter ants build underground nests consisting of a complex network of tunnels and chambers. Nests can encompass up to 70 square meters underground and house several million ants. The various chambers serve specialized functions crucial to the population’s survival.

The fungus chambers are the central rooms of the nests. In waste chambers, ants dispose of plant remnants from the fungus chambers. The ant queen lays her eggs in the brood chambers, where the larvae and pupae are also nurtured. The brood is cared for by the worker ants. In addition to the fungi, the ants also store food reserves in special storage chambers. The reserves consist of fungi but also leaves, flowers, seeds, and animal remains. Each colony builds its nest individually. Changes in their environment and external conditions are responded to by adapting their nest architecture. The correlations at play here are not yet fully understood. The diversity of ant nests is demonstrated by the work of Walter R. Tschinkel.

THE DIVERSITY OF ANT POPULATIONS – SWARM INTELLIGENCE
Leafcutter ants, like all ant species, function as swarm intelligence. Each individual carries a limited amount of information. Coordinated interaction and communication give rise to efficient solutions for complex tasks through collective intelligence without a central authority. The ant population operates through a complex, emergent system of individuals possessing only local information. Ants have no knowledge of the overall state of the community but function through mechanisms based on social coordination. Ant trails, for example, form when individual ants leave a pheromone trail while searching for food. If an ant uses this path repeatedly, the trail becomes stronger.

SOCIAL STRUCTURE
Queens are the reproductive females in the population. They are significantly larger than other nestmates and are solely responsible for laying eggs. An ant colony typically has only one queen, with multiple queens being the exception. Queens are the only female ants capable of laying eggs. Also, queens and males are the only members of the population that can fly. This ability is important during the mating season and for founding new colonies.

The primary function of male ants is to fertilize the queens during the mating flight. Males are smaller than worker ants and usually have a short lifespan. After fulfilling their reproductive role, they die.

Worker ants are non-reproductive females. Workers can be divided into various castes and can vary in size within a population. Comprising the majority of the colony, they are responsible for gathering leaves, caring for the queen and brood, tending to the fungal cultures and defending the colony.

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RECIPROCITY // The Alchemist – Ganoderma lucidum, 2021
Fungal Biomass and fruiting Bodies/mushrooms, cultivated on agro-industrial residues, including hemp straw and sawdust
Anamorphous volume, inscribed in full volume of 75x75x45 cm

Courtesy Maurizio Montalti / Mogu

RECIPROCITY // The Lower Fungi, filmed by Wim van Egmond, 2023
Film comprising a customized montage of high-quality timelapse films portraying fungal growth and behavior, as based on high-res micro-photography
13:30 min

RECIPROCITY // Metabolic Transformation, 2023
Film still from One Minute/Four Seconds shot by Wim van Edgmond, commissioned 2016 for Fungal Futures, curated by Officina Corpuscoli / Maurizio Montalti
Macro-photography, printed wallpaper mounted on wall
420 x 260 cm

Courtesy Officina Corpuscoli / Maurizio Montalti & Wim van Egmond

Maurizio Montalti is an artist, innovation researcher and entrepreneur with an engineering background. He works at the intersection of biotechnology and for over a decade now has been pioneering the development of sustainable and forward-thinking materials.

Montalti’s work revolves around a comprehensive understanding of life cycles, the interplay of becoming and decaying. He investigates various organisms and natural processes within a holistic framework of which humans are an integral part. Montalti employs methods that explore biological processes as a foundation for creating biological materials. He sees his work with fungi as representing a collaboration between humans and non-human organisms, all functioning as part of a living system. Montalti’s knowledge is rooted in theoretical and speculative ideas about new forms of coexistence, which have translated into practical actions.

What is commonly referred to as a mushroom is the reproductive structure (fruiting body) of a larger living organism, the mycelium. This mycelium is mostly invisible, growing as long filamentous strands in the soil or within deceased, nutrient-rich organisms. Mycelium refers to a network of thread-like fungal filaments (hyphae) that are so fine they are invisible to the naked eye. The filament network can become so dense that it forms a compact structure.

For the exhibition Bending the Curve, Montalti has designed a spatial installation titled RECIPROCITY. The installation reveals a mycelium-created cycle of elements and transformative processes to viewers. Montalti’s installation consists of different elements that expose the invisible. It includes a wall installation made of mycelium modules, a photographic close-up of mycelial threads in organic material, a film depicting the growth of mold fungi, a glass object, inside of which a substrate inoculated with mushroom spores can be seen, and with a mushroom sculpture on its top.

Montalti’s artistic practice is rooted in the fact that in nature, death and decay of biological cells and bodies are prerequisites for the emergence of new life. His work emerges from this natural process and the central role that fungi play in the environment as decomposing agents. They break down dead cells and transform them into substrate to become nourishment for new life of other organisms.

The title of the spatial installation encapsulates the artist’s central stance. Reciprocity means that every living being, human or non-human, is in a mutual relationship with all other living beings. Humans live in a coevolutionary interrelationship with other animals, plants, bacteria, viruses and fungi. This implies that changes and developments in species react to each other. By choosing the title of his work – Reciprocity – the artist references the insights of biologist and philosopher Lynn Margulis (1938 – 2011), who devoted her life and research to the evolutionary theory of symbiogenesis. This describes the emergence and development of life-communities in which different organisms closely interact and can only carry out their life-related functions in mutual dependence. Margulis conducted research on microorganisms like algae, bacteria, yeasts and fungi, which, in symbiosis with other organisms, induce changes in DNA and thus contribute to the emergence of new species.

At the center of the Reciprocity installation is the living sculpture, The Alchemist – Ganoderma lucidum. This organic sculpture consists of a grown mushroom body, a mature fruiting body that retains its shape through drying. The transparent glass base on which the sculpture stands contains substrate inoculated with mushroom spores that will develop over the course of the exhibition. It is not the sculpture that is alive, but the content of the base. This effectively reverses the way in which presentation has conventionally been prioritized in art museums. The title The Alchemist refers to the historical discipline that explored the properties of substances and their reactions, often with the goal of transforming them into valuable gold.

While plants produce their nutrients from sunlight and air through photosynthesis, fungi, like animals, derive their energy by digesting living or dead organic matter, as animals do. They grow and branch out, absorbing nutrients directly through their cell walls. The mycelium secretes enzymes that break down and absorb sugars from the material. In a natural setting, one of their primary functions is to break down dead material and organic matter, returning nutrients to the soil for plants to take up once more. The speed at which they do this plays a crucial role in how regeneration occurs in ecosystems.

Montalti views the natural decay process of fungi as a symbol for the cycle of all things and all life, in which death and decay are necessary to make room for new life forms and processes. Montalti represents an attitude held by numerous artists and innovative researchers today who produce their work with awareness of a socio-ecological transformation and their responsibility within that. The metaphor is insufficient for them: they move from metaphor into real implementation and action.

Montalti is a co-founder of the Italian company SQIM and the brands Mogu and Ephea, which produce biomaterials using mycelium through biodesign for interior design and textile production.

The start-ups are part of a transformation under way towards nature-inspired and sustainable materials and a new economy. With the Mogu company, Montalti places the idea of a partnership with non-human organisms at the center of his entrepreneurial activity. The concepts of reciprocity and co-creation are central to both his artistic work and his entrepreneurial endeavors.

Part of RECIPROCITY is the wall object consisting of mycelium modules. The acoustic panel system, triangular mycelium shapes, is produced by the artist in his co-founded start-up MOGU. The mycelium modules generate acoustic insulation due to the porous structure. The objects are biologically produced and biodegradable. By controlling humidity, temperature, substrate composition and the use of mineral pigments, different types of mycelium with varying strengths, densities and colors can be produced. With their goal of being part of an ecological transformation, Maurizio Montalti and his collaborators at Mogu have expanded the range of mycelium-based products and developed standardized production series.

The film The Lower Fungi and the macrophotography Metabolic Transformation are the result of a collaboration between microphotographer Wim van Egmond and Maurizio Montalti. Accelerated time-lapse footage of mushroom growth, observed through microscopes and stereoscopes, has resulted in high-resolution images. The macrophotography features the same type of mushroom from which the Mogu Acoustic ASPEN tiles are made.

Biomimicry, i.e., the knowledge and application of natural forms, processes and ecosystems to human actions, is a central part of Montalti’s artistic practice. In 2010, he founded the multidisciplinary studio Officinia Corpuscoli in the Netherlands. Here scientists and designers research biological processes and the connection between human and non-human beings. In particular, Montalti collaborated closely with mycologists (fungus scientists) and researchers from the University of Utrecht and the Fungal Biodiversity Centre CBS to explore diverse forms of mycelium and their potential as solutions to societal challenges. Jointly with them, Montalti developed methods that harness the biological properties of mycelium to create biobased and biodegradable products as alternatives to traditional products that often environmentally harmful.

“In nature, and that’s where you have to look if you want to learn something new, nothing disappears. It simply changes shape.” – Maurizio Montalti

Maurizio Montalti (IT) is an Italian designer, researcher, educator, and entrepreneur with a Master’s degree in Conceptual Design from the Design Academy Eindhoven (NL) and in Industrial Engineering and Management from the Università di Bologna (IT). He is the founder and creative director of Officina Corpuscoli, based in Amsterdam (NL) since 2010, where he conducts design research. Additionally, he is a co-founder, designer, and director of research and development at Mogu, a design company specializing in the development of high-performance solutions and products based on mycelium. He served as the co-director of the MAD Master’s program (Materialisation in Art and Design) at the Sandberg Instituut in Amsterdam (NL), conducted research at the Design Academy Eindhoven (NL), and currently holds the position of artistic director at DAS – Design Akademie Saaleck (DE). Furthermore, he teaches at various Dutch and international academies and universities. His work has received numerous awards and has been exhibited worldwide in renowned museums, galleries, and institutions, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York (US), the Centre Pompidou in Paris (FR), the Design Museum in London (UK), the Triennale di Milano (IT), the MAXXI in Rome (IT), and the Museum für Angewandte Kunst in Vienna (AT).

 

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