Ron Benner: Trans/mission: Insubstantial Equivalence

Public garden project in the Dalhousie Community Garden (located behind the Goldberg Computer Science Building, University Avenue and Henry Street)

Organized by the Dalhousie Art Gallery in partnership with the Dalhousie Student Union Sustainability Office

This June, London Ontario-based artist Ron Benner installed a "discursive construction" that consists of two garden plots, one populated with native American plants including maize, chili peppers, tomatoes, zinnias, morning glories and marigolds, the other with industrial F1 Hybrid maize, the borders of the indigenous garden inclde the names of theses plants, the borders of the inducstrial corn carden include the names of corporations and the chemicals used in the production of F1 Hybrids and genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Mounted on the back wall of the garden, provided a literal and figurative backdrop for the installation, are 16 photographs of the Ethno-botanical Garden in Oaxaca, mexico- One of the most botanically diverse areas of the world, and where maize was first developed 8000 years ago. 

 The title for this garden installation discursively inverts the term "substantial equivalence", a term used by corporations engaged in the production and distribution of GMOs and their products to downplay the differences between GMO and non-GMO crops and foods, thereby forgoing any regulatory process related to their products.

On the wall of the garden shed are two black and white historical photographs depicting Halifax Seed Company in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Jenkins Seed Company in London Ontario. Both small-scale, family-run companies sold open-pollinated varities of vegetables and flowers. Jenkins Seed Company developed Royal Purple Seeds but closed their store in the 1990's; Halifax Seed Company is still in operation and supplied all of the plants for this garden installation except the F1 Hybrid and the indigenous corn. 

Come see how the gardens grow.