Critical Seeds of Resistance by Aterraterra

Aterraterra is a non-profit organisation that works at the intersection of agriculture, art and activism, activated three years ago by the artists and farmers Fabio Aranzulla and Luca Cinquemani.

Their proposal stems from their main objective of catalysing change towards a climate change sensitive agriculture and food culture and exhibiting art as a tool to facilitate and promote broader discussions. Years of saving seeds and researching their stories have brought Fabio and Luca to many different vegetables which suit times of climate crisis by being, for example, arid resistant, or varieties that reveal difficult heritages by being connected to colonial pasts or racism.

The project by Aterraterra and twenty-five partners is to create a small transnational critical seed bank that operates from its base in Palermo but integrates seeds and knowledge in other European and international seed saving realities. The seeds will be shared with farmers and citizens. Aterraterra will collaborate with restaurants and institutions that grow a part of their own food to implement these varieties into their cultivation and menu. The work of the seed bank will go hand by hand with art. Aterraterra will invite different international and local artists for food performances, exhibitions and residencies.

Granted 19,550 euros