Diana Scherer is internationally known as a pioneer in biotechnological art, exploring the relationship between human control and the intelligence of nature. Using a method she developed, she allows plant roots to grow into refined tissues and sculptural structures. By carefully guiding natural growth processes, works emerge that balance control with and collaboration with natural processes. Her art demonstrates that nature cannot be fully shaped and raises questions about our relationship with nature.
Diana Scherer (Lauingen, DE, 1971) lives and works in Amsterdam. After her education at the Gerrit Rietveld Academy, she developed an international artistic practice in which botany, science, and art converge. In her studio, she creates carefully controlled conditions in which plant roots develop according to patterns designed by her. The final form, however, always remains partly dependent on the natural characteristics of the plant. The organic structures that emerge in this way refer to both botanical forms and man-made patterns, and invite us to reconsider our relationship with nature, manufacturability, and ecological responsibility.
Recent exhibitions include Soil, Somerset House, London, UK (2025); Manifesta 15 Metropolitana, Barcelona, Spain (2024); Reset Now, Haus der Kunst, Munich, Germany (2024); Farming Textiles, Museum Kranenburgh, the Netherlands (2023); the 23rd Biennale of Sydney, Australia (2022); and Intelligence of Plants, Frankfurter Kunstverein, Germany (2021). Scherer’s work is held in several collections, including those of the Victoria & Albert Museum, London; Design Society, Shenzhen; FOAM, Amsterdam; Museum Arnhem; Centraal Museum, Utrecht; and Bijzondere Collecties, Leiden.
Photography: Tesse Posthuma de Boer and Michiel Spijkers
