Tree of 40 Fruits, Biodiversity, and Food Security Futures, with Sam Van Aken

Sam Van Aken is my guest on Episode 64 of Inside Ideas with Marc Buckley. Sam is a contemporary artist who works beyond traditional modes of art-making, crossing artistic genres and disciplines to develop new perspectives on such themes as agriculture, botany, climatology, memory, and the ever-increasing impact of technology. Sam works in the natural and public realm are seen as metaphors that serve as the basis of narrative, sites of placemaking, collective learning, and in some cases have become the basis of scientific research. Artist Sam Van Aken shares the breathtaking work behind the "Tree of 40 Fruit," an ongoing series of hybridized fruit trees that grow 40 different varieties of peaches, plums, apricots, nectarines, and cherries -- all on the same tree. What began as an art project to showcase beautiful, multi-hued blossoms has become a living archive of rare heirloom specimens and their histories, a hands-on (and delicious!) way to teach people about cultivation and a vivid symbol of the need for biodiversity to ensure food security. "More than just food, embedded in these fruits is our culture ... In many ways, these fruits are our story," Van Aken says. #art #nature #future https://youtu.be/spRfacCVd8g https://www.samvanaken.com/ https://www.ted.com/talks/sam_van_aken_how_one_tree_grows_40_different_kinds_of_fruit?utm_campaign=tedspread&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=tedcomshare TED Salon https://youtu.be/ik3l4U_17bI National Geographic Special https://youtu.be/spRfacCVd8g