Ewelina Bialoszewska creates plantable photo book
Ewelina Bialoszewska embeds seeds into her homemade photo book, so viewers can plant and grow the album after. Rightly named Growing Album, the project combines photography with agriculture by producing a plantable image journal made from paper that contains seeds. Users can plant the entire book in soil to grow plants, and artist Ewelina Bialoszewska even matches the seeds to the ones shown in the photographs.
It is a personal project for the Polish artist. She makes the papers from the old maps of her hometown and the newspaper clippings that her grandmother has saved over many years. During the papermaking process, Ewelina Bialoszewska adds seeds to the pulp mixture, which come from the same plants that appear in the photo book. So, when the viewers see tomatoes growing in an image’s background, the seeds around that page contain actual tomato seeds mixed within the paper fibers so that they don’t easily fall off or can’t be scraped off.
all images courtesy of Ewelina Bialoszewska
Biodegradable paper embeds the seeds into the soil
Artist Ewelina Bialoszewska uses transfer printing techniques to create images on the seed paper and photo book. This process produces images that appear faded rather than sharp, and the fading effect represents how memories become less clear over time, an intentional effect for the project. The paper biodegrades in the ground while the seeds germinate and grow into plants. The growing process takes several weeks to months, depending on the plant species and growing conditions, and as the paper breaks down, it also provides nutrients for the sprouting seeds.
The paper production for Ewelina Bialoszewska’s homemade photo book process requires careful timing to preserve seeds since they must remain dormant during papermaking and storage while retaining the ability to germinate when planted. The artist has developed techniques to protect seed integrity throughout the manufacturing process, and some of the seeds embedded, or that can be included, onto the pages are vegetables, herbs, and flowers that typically grow in Polish gardens. Each plant species requires specific growing conditions for successful germination.
Ewelina Bialoszewska embeds seeds into her homemade photo book
The Growing Album touches on migration and identity issues
Each page of Ewelina Bialoszewska’s homemade photo book tells a story through the combination of image and seed. The photographs document specific locations, gardens, or plant life from Poland, while the embedded seeds enable users to recreate parts of these environments anywhere in the world. The album works in various climates though success rates depend on local weather and soil conditions. Some plants adapt better to new environments than others, so users may need to adjust watering, sunlight, and soil conditions for optimal growth.
The Growing Album touches on migration and identity issues. For the artist, many immigrants feel disconnected from their cultural roots after moving to new countries, and the album seeks to establish physical connections to their homeland through gardening. It’s a means to allow people who moved away from their birth countries to grow plants from their homeland. In this way, users can cultivate living connections to their places of origin, instead of only viewing photographs of home, familiar objects, and their loved ones.
viewers can plant and grow the album later on
rightly named Growing Album, the project combines photography with agriculture
the image journal is made from paper that contains seeds
users can plant the entire book in soil to grow plants
the artist even matches the seeds to the ones shown in the photos
Ewelina Bialoszewska adds seeds to the pulp mixture for the photo book
the artist uses transfer printing techniques to create the images
the fading effect represents how memories become less clear over time
the paper biodegrades in the ground while the seeds germinate and grow into plants
project info:
name: The Growing Album
artist: Ewelina Bialoszewska | @ewelina_bialoszewska
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