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A year of beans - Vivienne Schadinsky reflects on her residency at OmVed Gardens

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Artist Vivienne Schadinksy reflects on her residency at OmVed Gardens which focuses on the wonder of beans.

As the artist-in-residence at OmVed Gardens for the past year, my project focuses on beans. This residency offered me a unique space to explore the intersections of food, ecology and community through a plant that has been cultivated by humans for thousands of years. Beans, with their rich diversity and role in human health and sustainable agriculture, became my focus for understanding resilience and finding new ways how I connect with the earth.

Approach to the Residency

I approached the residency with a deep curiosity about the bean’s potential to tell larger stories about our relationship to the land and to food. The process began with a combination of in-depth research and hands-on cultivation within OmVed Gardens and its team. I documented the lifecycle of different bean varieties, studying their growth patterns, shapes, colours and nutritional benefits and observed the gardeners ways of growing. Throughout, I sought to integrate the voices of my scientific and specialist advisors. Looking for insights into sustainable cultivation, using the garden as a living lab to observe and engage with the beans at various stages.

In tandem with that work, I developed a series of education and conversations cards to foster public engagement. These invite people from diverse backgrounds—gardeners, chefs, and the general public—to connect over the act of growing, eating and discussing beans. By sharing our experiences with planting, cooking, and storytelling, we collectively explore the cultural and ecological significance of beans and food resilience. Engaging with participants in the project and during the upcoming exhibition in 2025 will offer invaluable insights into the different ways people connect with food and land. Hopefully we can learn how powerful it can be to bring people into an artistic process that is both physical and contemplative, allowing them to touch, taste, and discuss their relationships with the natural world.

Through this residency, I gained a deeper understanding of the symbiotic relationships that exist within a garden. Observing how beans enrich the soil by fixing nitrogen brought home the concept of interdependence, underscoring how plants can teach us about sustainable living. This also reshaped my perspective on community resilience: just as beans flourish through cooperation with other plants, so too do communities thrive when rooted in shared efforts and mutual support. Additionally, I developed a film and five short trailers, each crafted to tell a distinct story of the bean's journey. These video explores themes of human health, natural health, the benefits of preserving - for example knowledge, beauty, and the impact of our actions. Through storytelling, I aimed to create awareness about the intrinsic connection between our well-being and the natural world, inviting viewers to reflect on how our choices can nurture both ourselves and the environment. This project deepened my appreciation for the role of storytelling, emphasising mindfulness and a sense of shared responsibility toward the Earth.

Just as beans flourish through cooperation with other plants, so too do communities thrive when rooted in shared efforts and mutual support.

The project will conclude with an exhibition at OmVed Gardens in 2025. Combining film screenings, documentation of the bean lifecycle with reflections, on healthy soil, clean air and fresh water, sculptures, Japanese ink paintings, and written narratives displayed the journey from seed to harvest, while an education and reflection zone invites visitors to continue the conversation. This installation will be a growing testament to the power of small, often overlooked plants to inspire and educate.

This artist-in-residence experience transformed my understanding of beans and also deepened my appreciation for ecological storytelling as part of my ongoing art projects. The beans became a metaphor for life and highlight how seeds can foster profound connections. Through my work, I hope to show that art is an essential communication tool, one that works in harmony with scientific knowledge and facts to engage people more deeply with these themes. By blending artistic expression with ecological insight, I aim to create a fuller, more impactful understanding of our relationship with nature.

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