Diana Scherer
Born 1971 in Lauingen, Germany
Lives in Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Diana Scherer explores the relationship between humans and the natural environment. Through her installations, photographs and botany, she examines the boundaries between plant culture and plant nature. What does “natural” mean in the Anthropocene? Are human beings part of nature or a parasitic species on the environment? For the past few years, her fascination has focused on the dynamics of the root system. Scherer applies the intelligence of plants in her work and makes their hidden world visible. With her long-term project Exercises in Rootsystem Domestication, the natural network of the roots is transformed into an artificial textile. Scherer brings together her research in weaving techniques with the strength of the botanical material. Often working closely with biologists and engineers, she manipulates the growth processes below ground and produces living textiles.