Delve into Dornith Doherty's Archiving Eden, a captivating visual exploration of seed banks, preservation, and humanity's quest to protect biodiversity.
As we grapple with the mounting threats of climate change and biodiversity loss, the visionary photographic project, Archiving Eden: The Vaults by Dornith Doherty, takes on unparalleled importance. Initiated in 2008 with the impending completion of the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, the project offers a captivating exploration of seed banks and their vital preservation efforts in the face of dwindling agricultural diversity and the extinction of natural species.
Doherty's evocative photographs provide a fascinating glimpse into the inner workings of these global botanical backup systems, capturing the spaces and technology integral to their mission. Chronicling twenty of the world's most comprehensive collections across five continents, including the National Center for Genetic Resources Preservation in Colorado, the Millennium Seed Bank at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and the N.I. Vavilov Institute for Plant Industry in Russia, Doherty's images offer a compelling visual narrative of humanity's efforts to safeguard our planet's future.
At the heart of Doherty's project lies the Svalbard Global Seed Vault in Norway, the world's largest secure seed storage. This extraordinary facility, located above the Arctic Circle and designed to withstand the potential effects of melting ice caps, has inspired Doherty to embark on a decade-long photographic exploration of seed preservation efforts worldwide. Through her collaboration with scientists, archives, botanical centers, and research institutes, Doherty highlights the often overlooked, yet critical work being done to protect and preserve Earth's biodiversity.
