Youp Ferket, Oscar Tomico, Victor Muñoz Sanz, Katherine Legun
There is a growing interest in the role of plants in design and the social sciences. These domains overlap in their explorations of temporalities of life, human agency, interdependence, and kinship. As the existing literature has identified a politic that underpins choices for designing the interrelationships between humans and plants, our project explores the different ways these relations take shape. The film generates new insights into the role of plants in design methodologies and analyses social relations through situated interdisciplinary exchange.
What shapes our relations to plants?
Over two days, an interdisciplinary group of researchers and designers explored four research and labour sites focused on or involving plants: a commercial greenhouse, a food forest, a field lab on a farm, and a community garden. These visits were documented through film, capturing the conversations, spaces, species and atmosphere.
The visits were analysed by editing the recorded footage and sound. After organising and categorising the data, several rough cuts were made ranging from 1:10 hours to 20 minutes. As the cuts came together, a narrative began to emerge, becoming clear through the contrast between each of the four places. Iterating on the rough cuts was motivated by developing this narrative through editing choices such as how certain visuals were paired with quotes, the order of information presented, and crucially, what footage was omitted. In this way, the process of editing became a process of surfacing insights.
By highlighting the varying perspectives on human-plant relations and practices, Plants & Power reflects on themes surrounding structured and experimental approaches, fragility and resilience, and power decisions about who is welcome in spaces with plants. As the narrative progresses, each perspective presented by one place is nuanced by the next through addressing common themes like soil, water practices, and the interactions with plants. The documentary showcases various practices for producing, caring, working, and being with plants, and the challenges that arise when designing spaces for humans, plants, and other species.
While the documentary serves to share examples of designing with plants and uncovering the social relations that shape and are shaped by these design choices, it also asks the audience to reflect on their position.