Exploring Plant Memories: Bridging Art, Science, and Sustainability
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The intersection of art, science, and sustainability took center stage an innovative exhibition In Memory of Plants co-created by UCD plant scientist Dr Joanna Kacprzyk (School of Biology and Environmental Science) and artist Lorna Donlon in August 2022. In Memory of Plants belonged to a series of small, socially distanced exhibitions by ten different artists hosted in a garden near the village of Bennettsbridge in County Kilkenny, Ireland.
The exhibition, part of the Alternative Kilkenny Arts (AKA) Festival in August 2022, was housed in a repurposed garden shed amidst various other small, socially distanced displays. Visitors to the garden near Bennettsbridge, County Kilkenny, encountered dried plant specimens, evocative quotes, and interactive elements inviting them to reflect on their personal connections with plants.
This unique project was recently highlighted in a 2024 article "Plant memories: Art co-created with the public as a tool for investigating how people build lasting connections with plants,” co-authored by Joanna Kacprzyk, research student Aideen McGinn, and Lorna Donlon in the journal Plants People Planet.
Addressing Plant Awareness Disparity
At the heart of the project is the global issue of Plant Awareness Disparity (PAD), a cognitive bias leading many to overlook plants’ significance in ecosystems and daily life. While people may visually “see” plants, they often remain unaware of their vital roles, a phenomenon formerly termed “plant blindness.” By exploring ways to foster deeper emotional connections to plants, In Memory of Plants contributed to raising awareness of biodiversity and sustainability issues.
Joanna Kacprzyk, who teaches plant science to UCD students, and Donlon, a UCD Biology and Environmental Science graduate and artist, developed the idea through shared conversations. They identified art’s potential to captivate audiences and counteract PAD by invoking what Donlon refers to as “plantiness”, the intrinsic yet often overlooked connections between plants, humans, and animals.
The exhibition experience
In Memory of Plants grew organically and repurposed materials and ideas from artist Lorna Donlon’s prior work. The display featured dried plants tied to personal and collective memories, encouraging public participation. Visitors shared their plant memories on postcards sealed in wax envelopes and displayed them on a board for others to read. This simple, unsupervised format created a reflective, welcoming space. By the exhibition’s close, over fifty heartfelt responses were collected, revealing rich sensory and emotional ties to plants and showcasing art’s power to engage on a deeply personal level.
These contributions offered insights into overcoming PAD and inspired Joanna to obtain ethical approval to analyse the memories. The findings challenge the notion of plant neglect, revealing instead a wealth of poignant associations akin to the literary concept of Proust’s madeleines cakes - sensory triggers that evoke vivid recollections.
Future directions
The success of In Memory of Plants has paved the way for future collaborations. Joanna's future plans include expanding the participant base to gather diverse perspectives, targeting plant scientists to explore professional memories. Joanna and Lorna also have interest in drawing inspiration from the Irish Folklore Collection's Schools’ Collections to document intergenerational plant memories in contemporary Ireland.
Through its innovative approach, the In Memory of Plants exhibition underscored the transformative potential of art-science collaborations in promoting sustainability and reconnecting people with the natural world while addressing PAD and fostering emotional connections to plants.
Further information
, , & (2024). Plant memories: Art co-created with the public as a tool for investigating how people build lasting connections with plants. Plants, People, Planet, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp3.10555.
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