Chicory inspired the symbol of the Blue Flower in German Romanticism, a reaction against the industrial revolution which privileged the natural world. It influenced Goethe’s concept of the Urpflanze or primal plant. Through research into new plant breeding methods chicory now becomes a symbol of the biotechnological revolution as we open our minds to new definitions of ‘natural’. These gene edited plants are not normally allowed to leave the laboratory but through augmented reality you can fill your world with them.
“Biotechnology from the Blue Flower” was created by Anna Dumitriu and Alex May as part of the ASN-AIR program 2018-2022 in the CHIC science labs. The residency commission was awarded through Art Science Node. ASN/ASSF is a partner in the CHIC Consortium, CHIC is a research and innovation project supported through the EU Horizon 2020 funding programme.