Wendy DesChene, MFA

Jane Dickson Lanier Professor

CV.pdfPlantBot Genetics combines tactical media and public space to promote critical thinking and political action on environmental issues. Installations like these murals provide interactions that help citizens become environmentally literate and enthusiastic towards today’s sustainability challenges. By giving voice to the natural world through site-specific events that unfold in space and link data to place through visual experiences, new narratives evolve to strengthen our collective understanding.

Using a “Scanning Electron Microscope,” local pollen in Georgia and Alabama are photographed, digitally colorized and printed much larger than their original microscopic size. When placed together, the results turn an ordinary hallway into an educational space, where the dynamic patterns and scale make common pollen friendly, intriguing, and Instagram worthy.  Pollen is ecologically critical, not only to plants but to a broad array of animals and insects. For example, beyond bees, many spiders eat pollen. Pollen architecture is remarkably diverse, but its tiny stature makes it all but invisible to most. Creating curiosity and making scientific moments a more regular part of culture help us understand that our world is exciting, interconnected, worthy of exploration, and worth saving.