This Chimera- plant was originally created for the exhibition "Pond Situation/Common Waters" in 2023. consisting of organic and non-organic materials, the artist combines eucalyptus camaldulensis, ficus carica and desmodium uncinatum to a new species.
This work refers to the artist's experiences during her stay in Mtae, Tanzania, as part of an UN- project, and deals with the profound connections between (German) colonisation history, missionary work, globalisation, climate change and the effects of these on the lives of the people in this region of the Usambara Mountains.
The first of the three plants, eucalyptus camaldulensis, was introduced to Tanzania by German missionaries. The fast-growing plant, which originally came from the Australian continent, was mainly planted along roads for paving and for timber production, as it copes very well with drought but also absorbs all the water from the surrounding area when it rains.
However, in times of climate change and the associated water shortage, this plant is now proving to be an ‘ecological disaster’.
In recent years, the amount of rainfall has almost halved, causing massive damage to soils, forests, animals and people. Eucalyptus, which has now also spread uncontrollably, is putting additional pressure on the soil due to its high water requirements. In regions where the trees grow, the soil dries out particularly severely, which means that native plant species can no longer grow there and the soil becomes desolate. On top of this, the trees are highly flammable due to the oils they contain, which also fuels forest fires.
The second plant, desmodium uncinatum, originally came from Latin America and probably arrived in Tanzania via trade and slave routes, where it has been growing as a weed in several places ever since.
Due to the persistent lack of water and constant global warming, farmers are experiencing ever greater problems with pests that are attacking their crops. The constant erosion is also a problem - the intensive cultivation of the terraces and the drought are increasingly eroding the upper, humus-rich layer, making the soil increasingly infertile.
As a result, more and more powerful pesticides and fertilisers are being spread uncontrollably on the fields, further polluting the already scarce drinking water.
Plants such as desmodium uncinatum could be a game changer here. The plant is now used in the so-called push-and-pull method in agriculture, as it keeps pests such as rice stem borer or Spodoptera frugiperda away when planted between the rows of crops. Furthermore, as the plant has deep roots and acts as a ground cover, it can also protect the fields from erosion and drying out, and can also be used as animal feed.
In addition to these two plants, the artist adds a third, ficus carica. The fig is known in many cultures as a symbol of fertility. At the same time, and especially in relation to the missionaries, it also refers to the Christian creation myth in which Adam and Eve, after eating from the tree of knowledge and realising themselves, cover their bodies with fig leaves out of shame.
The title also picks up on this and poses questions in this regard, e.g. about the meanings and values we ascribe to plants, the extent to which our cultures and myths are interwoven and dependent on plants and how we deal with topics such as ‘guilt’ and who we give it to.
documentation: Ronja Greiner
learn more about the concept of chimera-plants >>
