Into the Seeds of Time
Into the Seeds of Time began as an exhibition and has now evolved into a digital resource, sharing artist Vivienne Schadinsky’s year-long residency at OmVed Gardens and exploring beans' journey from seed to harvest, and their potential for human and planetary well-being.
The exhibition ran from May 31 to August 3, 2025, at OmVed Gardens, and some of Vivienne’s works can still be found throughout OmVed’s new spaces for visitors to enjoy. The research behind the project also inspired a documentary, a series of short films, and in-depth interviews, all now available to watch online below.
These materials invite you to step into Vivienne’s world, where art meets ecology. Through collaborations with scientific advisors, growing experiments at OmVed and in her studio, and her ongoing fascination with Japanese culture and craft, Vivienne weaves together creativity, research, and care for the natural world.
Watch the documentary: Into the Seeds of Time
In this poetic and visually rich documentary, artist and arts educator Vivienne Schadinsky invites viewers into a contemplative journey through art, science, and ecology. Filmed during her residency at OmVed Gardens, the film explores beans as seeds of hope, symbols of biodiversity, resilience, and planetary wellbeing.
How can science and art converge to create impact?
As part of Schadinky's residency, she conducted interview with scientists and ecological advisors.
Watch the interviews in full below:
The bean: a Seed for the Future? Interview with Dr. Caspar Chater
Field Reflections from Wakehurst, Interview with Kevin Martin
Why Pulses Matter: William Erskine on Seeds, Sustainability & Food Security
Guardians of the Future: Tiziana Ulian on Seeds, Climate, and Conservation
A Journey Through Beans: Seeds of Resilience
This series of short films traces a poetic journey through beans as symbols of memory, nourishment, and climate resilience. Beginning with an invitation into the world of seeds and a year-long collaboration at OmVed Gardens, the films follow the Puy Lentil’s struggle with changing weather, the Essex Pea Bean’s story of abundance and seed sovereignty, and the Gaia Soy Bean’s quiet resilience amid a wet growing season and shifting climate.
The final piece transforms the bean into a metaphor for life itself: roots, soil, stem, leaves, and seed echoing past, present, future, and legacy, closing with a call to reflect on our relationship to food, land, and collective responsibility.
Film and photographic work art directed and conceptualised by Vivienne Schadinsky and photographed, filmed and edited by Will Hearle.
Weaving art, ecology and food within the OmVed ecosystem
Combining films, sculptures and Japanese ink paintings, the exhibition spreaded throughout OmVed’s new spaces. This distribution aimed to highlight the connection between Schadinsky’s art with the art of growing, seed saving, eating, preserving and documenting, and guided the visitor on an holistic exploration of the OmVed Gardens ecosystem.
An invitation to shape a more beautiful future
At the intersection of art and ecology, Vivienne’s work is rooted in the belief of the transformative power of nature, culture and art to encourage social behavioural change.
Therefore, Into the seeds of time was an invitation, an invitation to shape a more beautiful future by taking small steps today, in our gardens, kitchens, workplaces and communities.
A Year of Beans: Read Vivienne's blog post in the OmVed journal.
A selection of works from Into the Seeds of Time is still available for purchase. To receive the catalogue and pricing details, please get in touch.
