Between Roots and Systems

Both artists have long worked at the intersection of art and science, working on a large variety of art projects where the invisible becomes tangible, whether through microbiological processes, plant behaviour or the human body itself, and it is precisely this sensitivity to underlying systems that shaped their encounter with the greenhouse.

“There is an incredible level of control,” Spela reflects, “but at the same time you are still dealing with living systems that do not fully submit to that control, and that creates a very particular kind of environment.”

The residency, in which the artists visited a wide range of horticultural companies, did more than just give them access or new knowledge. It changed how they look at food production. No longer as something isolated, but as part of a much larger system that connects to health, ecology and society. The horticultural sector is often described as collaborative, but what they encountered told a slightly different story:

“You start to realise how fragmented and specialised everything is organised, from seed breeding, to production, to logistics and retail,” they explain, “while in reality food systems are deeply connected, and that gap between how things are structured and how they actually function becomes very visible.”

What surprised them most was not the technology itself, although they both acknowledged the extraordinary level of innovation within the sector, but rather the underlying question that often remains unspoken.

“There is a strong focus on optimisation,” they say, “but optimisation towards what is not always clearly articulated, whether that is yield, efficiency or something else entirely.”

It is here that the conversation begins to shift, moving from observation towards a more fundamental reflection on purpose. For Margherita, this becomes particularly tangible through her work on the microbiome, a field that remains abstract even for many within the sector, despite its direct relevance to both plant and human health.

The microbiome is a community of microorganisms—bacteria, viruses, fungi, and archaea—that live together in a specific habitat, such as the human body, soil, or ocean. Margherita is working on a project called Microbial Commons and explores the connections revealed through DNA sequencing between all stages of food production, from seed to ingestion. For example, microbial families found on the grower’s side were later also found months afterwards in her stool, having survived through soil, plant, strawberry, and eventually Margherita’s intestine.

“The microbiome is not something separate,” she explains, “it is part of a continuous system that connects soil, plants and the human body, and yet we tend to approach these domains as if they exist independently from one another.”

Margherita has lived her whole life with an extensive allergy for vegetables and fruit. Her personal experiences with allergies have further deepened this perspective of connection through food, turning what could remain a conceptual field into something that we can understand, trust and work together with.

“What we grow directly influences what enters the body, and that in turn shapes health, but this connection is still not structurally integrated into how we think about food production.”

When asked whether this constitutes a blind spot within horticulture, her answer is nuanced rather than critical:

“I would not say it is ignored,” she reflects, “but it is not central, and that has less to do with intention than with how systems are organised and prioritised.”

Health, in that sense, often appears downstream, while production operates upstream, and the space in between remains insufficiently explored. For both artists, this is precisely where the role of art becomes relevant, not as a tool for communication or decoration, but as a way of opening up different modes of thinking.

“Art allows for a type of questioning that does not need to lead to immediate solutions,” they explain, “and that is important in systems that are otherwise driven by efficiency and measurable outcomes.”

Within horticulture, this creates an opportunity to reflect on aspects that are difficult to quantify, yet essential to understanding the broader impact of food production. Up until now, art and collaboration with artists is not really something that is common in the sector.

“Everything is measured, which is a strength of the sector, but it also means that certain dimensions, such as perception, meaning or long-term health effects, can remain outside of focus.”

Rather than positioning themselves as external critics, both Soldati and Petrič describe their role as one of connection, bringing together perspectives that do not naturally intersect. Before the residency, both artists tried to enter the world of food production. Being an outsider, they struggled to get in contact at first. But through contacts and the network of EatThis, they managed to really ‘step into’ the greenhouse.

“What we noticed is that there is actually a strong openness within the sector once you’re in,” they say, “a curiosity to engage with different ways of looking at things, perhaps because there is also an awareness that something is missing.”

That “something” is not easily defined, but often emerges in the space between disciplines, where growers, scientists and artists approach the same system from fundamentally different angles.

“It is not about replacing existing knowledge,” they emphasise, “but about expanding the framework within which that knowledge operates.”

This becomes particularly relevant when considering the relationship between horticulture and broader societal challenges, especially in the context of health.

“Food production, healthcare and societal wellbeing are deeply interconnected,” they note, “but they are still largely developed in parallel rather than in collaboration, and that creates both inefficiencies and missed opportunities.”

Art, in this context, can function as a mediator, not by offering direct solutions, but by making these disconnections visible and tangible. There is a lot of untapped potential, but it requires willingness to move beyond established boundaries and to engage with other systems. For instance, the horticultural sector working together with healthcare, or vice versa.

Their own work continues to evolve in that direction, moving between research, collaboration and experimentation, always grounded in the belief that understanding complex systems begins with the ability to look at them differently. It is not about replacing existing knowledge, but about widening the frame through which that knowledge is interpreted and applied.

When asked what the horticulture sector could still improve when it comes to health, their answer does not point towards a lack of innovation, but towards a lack of connection. Much of what is needed already exists but remains insufficiently integrated. Food production, human health and ecological systems continue to be developed alongside one another, rather than as part of a shared framework.

What follows from that is not a call for more technology, or more optimisation in isolation, but for a deeper awareness of how these systems influence one another, and a willingness to act accordingly. Not by radically changing direction overnight, but by starting to connect what is already there.

In that sense, the question is perhaps not what the sector is missing, but what it has not yet fully brought together.