Pollinator Pathmaker

Art, ecology, social science, philosophy & community explore: What is a garden for? Who is it for?

Can a garden be a work of art? And can we make art for other species?

Join us for an evening exploring Pollinator Pathmaker (www.pollinator.art), the award-winning living artwork by artist Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg. Originally commissioned in 2020 by the Eden Project, Pollinator Pathmaker is now growing into the world’s largest climate-positive artwork through public participation.

Rather than designing gardens for human taste, the artwork uses an algorithmic planting tool that prioritises the tastes of pollinators. It challenges how we think about both gardens and art, repositioning humans not as the audience, but as caretakers of a living artwork.

This event draws on a live research project centred on a network of Pollinator Pathmaker artworks planted throughout the village of Constantine in Cornwall. Funded by UK Research and Innovation, researchers from the University of Exeter and the University of Edinburgh are investigating what happens when an artwork becomes part of everyday life, for humans and the more-than-human alike.

Together, we’ll consider questions these living artworks raise: What is a garden for? Who is it for? And how can art reshape our relationship with the natural world?

The evening begins with an introduction from Daisy Ginsberg on making art for other species, followed by short presentations on the research from network ecologist Professor Christopher Kaiser-Bunbury, social scientist Professor Jane Calvert, and philosopher Professor John Dupré.

Drawing on the experiences of the Constantine Network residents, Professor Dupré will lead a discussion on the tensions between art and science, authorship and stewardship, and the possibilities and challenges of understanding a living ecosystem as an artwork.

Panellists include:
Dr Bram Thomas Arnold, Artist and participant in Constantine Network, Falmouth University.
Daisy Ginsberg, Artist.
Adolfo Harrison, Garden designer

A delicious vegetarian supper is included in the ticket price.