nterwoven - Exercises in Root System Domestication (2015-ongoing)

In INTERWOVEN, Diana Scherer looks at the root system of plants as if it were wool. Together with several biologists, she went in search of a technique to control the growth of plant roots. She developed underground templates that roots could grow along, basing the shapes on natural geometric principles. The roots merge with the templates during the growth process, whereby they actually weave or knit themselves. Once the natural root system has steered itself into artificial patterns, it takes on the appearance of an unnatural material. She presents her work both as photography and in the form of objects. In her work, Diana Scherer explores the ambiguous relationship between man and his natural environment, which he cherishes and recklessly manipulates at the same time.