cut-off cycles

A design installation exploring different concepts of time and how embracing a cyclical perception of time can deepen our understanding of nature.
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The world is a web of different cycles. For millennia, our ancestors saw themselves as part of this web. Today, we encourage a linear conception of time, one that puts the individual at the fore front: championing goals and focusing on growth. This worldview became the perfect soil for our economy but left our environment suffering. A cyclical conception of time encourages care for the future and focus on the present. If we think in cycles, we align ourselves better with our surroundings and can face problems together differently.
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The research explores different concepts of time through the example of microgreen cress. Cress is symbolic for the misconception we have about nature. After six days, planted seeds can be harvested as microgreens, illustrating a linear, process-oriented view of nature. We omit the fact that cress also has a life cycle: it can produce new seeds, which grow into new plants, embodying a cyclical concept of nature.

2023