Archiving Eden: Exchange
Dornith Doherty
November 20, 2019 — August 16, 2020
Floor 1
Archiving Eden: Exchange presents x-ray images of 5,000 seeds — the smallest number required to preserve a single plant species. Housed within a vault-like structure, the installation by artist Dornith Doherty comes to life during seed exchange events, where visitors are invited to remove an image from the vault’s walls and replace it with a transparent envelope containing a single Canadian seed. Over time, the installation will change both physically and visually: from representational to actual, dark to light.
The seeds available for exchange are representative of common agricultural crops grown in Canada, including soy, corn and beans, as well as a variety of native wild plant species. The black-and-white x-rays lining the installation’s walls were captured by Doherty in collaboration with scientists at several international seed banks.
MOCA presents Archiving Eden: Exchange as the fifth installment of Art in Use, a series devoted to exploring the ways in which museums can be socially and politically useful. With Archiving Eden: Exchange, viewers are encouraged to examine their collective responsibility to care for the environment while reflecting on the monumental effort required to safeguard biodiversity. At the close of the exhibition, the 5,000 seeds will be donated to the Toronto Botanical Garden Seed Library — a collection of vegetable, herb and flower seeds that growers can borrow from and donate to.
Dornith Doherty is an artist whose work is concerned with our stewardship of the natural environment. Her photographic project Archiving Eden, is an extensive body of work that documents the complex issues surrounding the role of science and human agency in preserving biodiversity. Collaborating with scientists and seed banks on five continents, she has traced in precise detail the elaborate systems of secure spaces and technological interventions required for botanical preservation. Doherty is a 2012 Guggenheim Foundation Fellow, and her work has been exhibited widely in the US and internationally. She is currently a Distinguished Research Professor at the University of North Texas.
Archiving Eden: Exchange was originally developed as part of Idea Projects, a partnership programme between MOCA and the Ontario Science Centre that provided studio residencies to artists exploring science and technology through artistic practice. Idea Projects was on from September 15, 2018, to September 15, 2019, and was curated by Ana Klasnja.
Ideas Projects Participating Artists:
Jude Abu Zaineh, Nicole Clouston, Dornith Doherty, Christine Germano, Milumbe Haimbe, Günes-Hélène Isitan, Natasha Naveau, Joel Ong, PA System (Alexa Hatanaka and Patrick Thompson), Ekaterina Smirnova, SYSTEM Sounds (Matt Russo and Andrew Santaguida), Tosca Teran, and Elaine Whittaker.
With Special Thanks To:
Sayeh Dastgheib-Beheshti; City of Toronto, Parks, Forestry and Recreation; North American Native Plant Society; Ivana Obradovic; Ontario Horticultural Association; Royal Botanical Gardens; Seeds of Diversity; Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival; Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center; Toronto Botanical Garden; Toronto Master Gardeners; Toronto Urban Growers; and USC Canada.
Tune into Archiving Eden: A Discussion
Dornith Doherty, featuring MOCA Learning Coordinator, Alexandra Brickman, and installation facilitators, Sayeh Dastgheib-Beheshti and Ivana Obradovic
Public Programmes
Make Your Own Seed Paper | April 26
11 am–4 pm
Spring has sprung at MOCA! Come visit Dornith Doherty’s piece Archiving Eden: Exchange on Floor 1 and learn all about seed vaults and their important role in preserving biodiversity. Then, check out our drop-in workshop led by MOCA staff and learn how to make your own plantable seed paper using only three materials — no blender necessary! You may choose to keep your finished seed paper or give it as a gift. The finished product makes it easy to plant several seeds at once.
This workshop occurs on TD Community Sunday. Admission to the museum is free all day!
“Archiving Eden”: A Discussion | May 2
4 pm
Free with registration. Registration will open March 6, 2020.
Dornith Doherty is an artist whose work is concerned with our stewardship of the natural environment. In this talk, she will discuss her photographic project Archiving Eden, an extensive body of work that documents the complex issues surrounding the role of science and human agency in preserving biodiversity. Collaborating with scientists and seed banks on five continents, she has traced in precise detail the elaborate systems of secure spaces and technological interventions required for botanical preservation.
A 2012 Guggenheim Foundation Fellow, Texas-born Dornith Doherty has received grants from the Fulbright Foundation, the Japan Foundation and the United States Department of the Interior. Doherty’s work has been featured in exhibitions widely in the US and internationally. Currently a Distinguished Research Professor at the University of North Texas, she has been invited to present scholarly papers and artist talks at over 100 institutions and conferences worldwide. Doherty was an artist-in-residence at MOCA in Spring 2019 as part of Ideas Projects, a partnership programme between the museum and the Ontario Science Centre.
