Turning an invasive species into a useful plant – this is the approach Antoinette Yetunde Oni takes with her material study “The Honourable Harvest.” The object of desire: the water hyacinth, a tropical plant that chokes rivers and depletes the oxygen supply, endangering other aquatic life forms.
During the project, the British-Nigerian artist wants to experiment with the fibers of the aquatic plant. Her research so far has shown that the biomass can in principle be used as a local, renewable energy source as well as for commercial, agricultural and craft purposes. As part of #VISIT2022, Antoinette Yetunde Oni is therefore creating a material flow map and conducting further research into the plant’s energy-generation possibilities. The project is being implemented in the Nigerian town of Ijebu-Ode together with local craftspeople, farmers, artists and administrators.
The project accompanies them with a documentary short film.
Website Antoinette Yetunde Oni
