Center for Plant Immigrant Integration
Center for Plant Immigrant Integration explores the relationship between plants and bacteria as a metaphor for human migration to Europe. The project builds upon the research of Prof. Sofie Goormachtig (VIB—UGent Center for Plant Systems Biology) exploring soybean cultivation in Flanders, aims at providing a high-protein crop and an eco-friendly meat alternative for the future. Her research especially focuses on the soybean interactions with nitrogen-fixing bacteria in the soil. As an Asian artist who works and lives in Europe, Kuang-Yi Ku thinks the soybean (an Asian plant) significantly resonate his own racial identity. This inspired him to explore the similarities between the plant-microbe research and the integration of immigrants in European societies.
In order to find endogenous rhizobia able to nodulate soybean plants in Belgian environmental conditions, the Goormachtig lab attracted 1000 citizens spread over Flanders to grow soybean plants in their gardens. Candidates sowed soybean seeds in May 2021 and grew the plants for a minimum of two months (until July/August 2021), which allows the development of mature nodules. In the summer of 2021, plants have been collected and nodules have been assessed in the lab. The scientists determined several important plant growth parameters such as plant height, fresh weight (FW) and chlorophyll content, after which all nodules were collected. For every plant, nodule number, size, form and color (i.e. red color = fixing, white = non-fixing) have been microscopically determined. In order to identify the residing rhizobia, nodules have been further processed in a series of experiments. After the identification of rhizobia by recognizing their DNA sequences, it is one step closer to an optimal soybean-rhizobia partnership which is further analyzed in future and more applicable experiments.
Inspired by Sofie Goormachtig’s research, artist Kuang-Yi Ku visually analyze the research results from Goormachtig’s project for the construction of Center for Plant Immigrant Integration. This center is a fictional institution which deals with the legal visa application and the integration of foreign plants. In this project, the fictional centre works on their first client — the soybean plant — who wants to apply to work and live in the European Union. The centre provides its expertise to help soybean plants to create its own profile and to facilitate integration with the help of an endemic microorganism.
There are four parts in this projects. At first, artist creates a fictional passport of soybean by constructing a 3D installation. Each of the pages of the passport are connected in a 3D scale. It visually shows where soybean originates and where it has been travelled. The language in the passport are both Chinese and English to present its Asian origin. Also, the nationality of soybean is Manchuria, a fictional nation from a non-anthropocentric perspective. Secondly, there is a video indicating how a fictional plant immigration officer exams soy plant which want to migrate to Europe. The steps include measuring chlorophyll content, evaluating nodulation in soybeans, identifying plant pests, and son on. Thirdly, artist designed a series of documents for the soybean’s visa applications, such as phytosanitary certificates, declaration of relationship between soybean and rhizobia. At last, there is an animation as the soybean’s ID card in Brussels. It presents soybean’s personal informations, such as the leave prints and nodule prints (biometrics of plant), its partner’s DNA sequence (rhizobia’s DNA sequence) and so on.
Through these fictive infographics, prints, documents, video, this project attempts to use the metaphor to reflect the current social issues of immigration integration. The comparison between interethnic interaction and nonhuman interspecies interaction in this project also provide a unique perspective to see the complicated relationship between “nature” and “culture”.
In order to find endogenous rhizobia able to nodulate soybean plants in Belgian environmental conditions, the Goormachtig lab attracted 1000 citizens spread over Flanders to grow soybean plants in their gardens. Candidates sowed soybean seeds in May 2021 and grew the plants for a minimum of two months (until July/August 2021), which allows the development of mature nodules. In the summer of 2021, plants have been collected and nodules have been assessed in the lab. The scientists determined several important plant growth parameters such as plant height, fresh weight (FW) and chlorophyll content, after which all nodules were collected. For every plant, nodule number, size, form and color (i.e. red color = fixing, white = non-fixing) have been microscopically determined. In order to identify the residing rhizobia, nodules have been further processed in a series of experiments. After the identification of rhizobia by recognizing their DNA sequences, it is one step closer to an optimal soybean-rhizobia partnership which is further analyzed in future and more applicable experiments.
Inspired by Sofie Goormachtig’s research, artist Kuang-Yi Ku visually analyze the research results from Goormachtig’s project for the construction of Center for Plant Immigrant Integration. This center is a fictional institution which deals with the legal visa application and the integration of foreign plants. In this project, the fictional centre works on their first client — the soybean plant — who wants to apply to work and live in the European Union. The centre provides its expertise to help soybean plants to create its own profile and to facilitate integration with the help of an endemic microorganism.
There are four parts in this projects. At first, artist creates a fictional passport of soybean by constructing a 3D installation. Each of the pages of the passport are connected in a 3D scale. It visually shows where soybean originates and where it has been travelled. The language in the passport are both Chinese and English to present its Asian origin. Also, the nationality of soybean is Manchuria, a fictional nation from a non-anthropocentric perspective. Secondly, there is a video indicating how a fictional plant immigration officer exams soy plant which want to migrate to Europe. The steps include measuring chlorophyll content, evaluating nodulation in soybeans, identifying plant pests, and son on. Thirdly, artist designed a series of documents for the soybean’s visa applications, such as phytosanitary certificates, declaration of relationship between soybean and rhizobia. At last, there is an animation as the soybean’s ID card in Brussels. It presents soybean’s personal informations, such as the leave prints and nodule prints (biometrics of plant), its partner’s DNA sequence (rhizobia’s DNA sequence) and so on.
Through these fictive infographics, prints, documents, video, this project attempts to use the metaphor to reflect the current social issues of immigration integration. The comparison between interethnic interaction and nonhuman interspecies interaction in this project also provide a unique perspective to see the complicated relationship between “nature” and “culture”.
Credits:
Artist: Kuang-Yi Ku
Scientist: Sofie Goormachtig
Scientific consultancy and plant cultivation: Lena Vlaminck, Judith van Dingenen
Introductory video making: Berend van Rossum
Graphic design: Yu-Tzu Huang
Research assistance and field work: Yu-Chun Lo
Concept video making: Jian-Da Huang
Performer: Sean Fisher
Costume design: Chia-Wei Tien
Prop design: Hung Lu Chan, Hsin Min Chan
Filming assistant: Tzu-Yen Chen, Shun-Chih Chang
Supported and sponsored by European Commission, Gluon (BE), VIB (BE), National Culture and Arts Foundation (TW).
Artist: Kuang-Yi Ku
Scientist: Sofie Goormachtig
Scientific consultancy and plant cultivation: Lena Vlaminck, Judith van Dingenen
Introductory video making: Berend van Rossum
Graphic design: Yu-Tzu Huang
Research assistance and field work: Yu-Chun Lo
Concept video making: Jian-Da Huang
Performer: Sean Fisher
Costume design: Chia-Wei Tien
Prop design: Hung Lu Chan, Hsin Min Chan
Filming assistant: Tzu-Yen Chen, Shun-Chih Chang
Supported and sponsored by European Commission, Gluon (BE), VIB (BE), National Culture and Arts Foundation (TW).