Smuggled Seeds

A photo in response to Armin Medosch's thoughtful meditation on the eco-social praxis of artist-activist-network Shu Lea Cheang. These are seeds given to me last year by my Italian aunty Teresa who lives a field or 2 across from Heathrow Airport.

Despite the chemicals deposited over her garden daily by the descending aircraft, so low you need to stop talking when they pass overhead, her herbs and vegetables are insanely delicious. Some of the seeds are from her home village outside of Monte Casino, south of Rome. I posted some to Armin and Ina to grow in the field in Austria. The rest I (might have) smuggled back into Australia, past the scentful noses of heroin-addicted dogs of the Australian quarantine service. Armin's article about Seeds Underground inspired me to find the seeds buried in the Dollshouse in Adelaide, and tomorrow I shall plant chicoria (even though its the first days of winter and I suspect exactly the wrong time to plant) -- so I too can have something to trade in the great cobweb of seed nets.