Art Meets Conservation: LA Arboretum’s Seed Exchange Transforms Installation Into Living Seed Bank

On Sunday, Sept. 22, the Los Angeles County Arboretum in Arcadia will host a unique event merging art and conservation, allowing visitors to exchange vivid X-ray images of seeds for actual California native wildflower seeds.

The interactive art installation, titled “Archiving Eden: Exchange,” aims to transform an outdoor exhibit into a living seed bank through public participation.

Created by artist Dornith Doherty, the installation features 5,000 colorful X-ray images of native California seeds that visitors can trade for real seeds during the event.

“Visitors will participate in the seed exchange on the dates listed on the arboretum website and in signage at the garden,” Shirley Watts, the curator, said. “They are invited to come to the installation, take one of the beautiful little ’tiles’ and replace it with a glassine bag containing one seed.” 

The event, from 9 to 11 a.m., is free with admission to the Los Angeles County Arboretum, located at 301 N. Baldwin Ave. in Arcadia.

Doherty’s project, part of her larger “Archiving Eden” series which began in 2008, explores the critical role of seed banks in preserving plant diversity amid climate change and species extinction.

The artist’s motivation stems from deep environmental concerns. 

“Entwined in the narratives of my lifetime is a deep-seated anxiety about the acute gravity of climate change, diminishing biodiversity, and the possibility that we may not be able to retreat from the brink,” Doherty said. “When I read that a Doomsday Vault – a modern-day ark for plants – had been built near the North Pole, I became determined to photograph it.”

The installation at the Arboretum connects to global conservation efforts, Watts said. 

“Seed banks all over the world are now becoming important in efforts to preserve biodiversity and Dornith has traveled all over the world photographing seed banks,” she explained. 

Doherty’s work serves both educational and artistic purposes, showcasing hidden scientific institutions while inspiring the public through beautiful seed imagery.

The concept of seed banks dates back to 1929 when Russian scientist Nikolai Vavilov established the first comprehensive scientific collection of seeds in the Soviet Union to preserve agricultural seeds and combat starvation.

Today, over a thousand seed banks worldwide serve as a global botanical backup system, preserving plant diversity in the face of environmental challenges.

For the Arboretum installation, Doherty collaborated with Genvieve Arnold from the Theodore Payne Foundation, a sponsor of the exhibit, to select California native wildflower seeds suitable for growing in the San Gabriel Valley. This careful selection ensures that the exchanged seeds are ecologically appropriate for the local area.

As visitors participate in the seed exchange, they will gradually transform the colorful installation into a predominantly white display, symbolizing the creation of a living seed bank.

The installation at the Los Angeles County Arboretum is supported by partners including the Theodore Payne Foundation, the University of North Texas, and the Missouri Botanical Garden.