GALLERY 2013

Description of idea

Describe your idea and concept of your work in relation to the festival outlines:

The concept behind my work came from Vandana Shiva's text "Stolen Harvest" when she mentioned in a couple of paragraphs how seeds were a storage place of culture and history. Reading those few paragraphs over and over made me realize how seeds are important not only for reproducing plants and food but also important to represent our culture. She mentions how for farmers who exchange seeds are actually exchanging knowledge of each others culture and heritage. To know that corporations have taken over the security of culture and heritage by controlling 100 percent of genetically engineered seeds pushed my idea to exhibit a that a single DNA strand of a seed is as significant as any other DNA of living things. Due to the increase production of genetically engineered seeds, a single non-genetically modified DNA strand is placed in a rice grain where it comes out to show the importance of it in food security.

What kind of communication approach do you use?

I tried having a simple, clear and focused concept so people would understand it right away. Displaying both a single grain of rice and its single DNA strand with Vandana Shiva's quote "Seed is the ultimate symbol of food security." A4 sized that could be displayed in magazines or such. This would impact the viewers to remember where they are really getting their food.

What are in your opinion concrete benefits to the society because of your communication?

It would increase awareness of how manipulation of DNA's could cause quick significant changes in a small amount of time.

What did you personally learn from creating your submitted work?

That we were created to be what we are, not to be manipulated to be who others want us to be. Plants and animals are living creatures as much as we are.

Why is your work, GOOD communication WORK?

Having a single DNA strand standing alone, coming out of a grain of rice would remind viewers of how a single living thing could have large impacts on our security and also reminds them of what corporations are actually doing.

Where and how do you intent do implement your work?

This was an academic project, there is no intent to proceed more with the idea, yet.

Did your intervention had an effect on other Media. If yes, describe the effect? (Has other media reported on it- how? Were you able to change other media with your work- how?)

No my work was done for academic use only.