In The Azolla Cooking and Cultivation Project artists, researchers, farmers, gardeners, chefs and scientists experiment with cooking and cultivating the water fern Azolla. Azolla is one of the world’s fastest-growing plants and a rich source of nutrients. Because of this, it has been suggested as a potential food crop for space agriculture. Yet as a food source for human consumption, there are many aspects of Azolla that remain unexplored and unresolved.

A book about The Azolla Cooking and Cultivation Project can be found here. Here is an interview about the project at We Make Money Not Art, an article from the magazine FARM. A great introduction to Azolla can be found in Biodiversity: Journal of life on Earth. Some Azolla research that has been used in the project is available here.

Notice: Azolla may contain BMAA, an amino acid that is a possible cause of neurodegenerative diseases. Read more about this here; Azolla, BMAA, and Neurodegenerative Diseases. Azolla is classified as an invasive species and weed in many regions. Don’t introduce the plant into the wild without consideration. Check with local authorities for regulations that may apply.

The Azolla Cooking and Cultivation Project is a project by artist and researcher Erik Sjödin. It has been shown at Kalmar Konstmuseum (SE) in April / May 2010, at Kultivator (SE) in June / July 2010, at Färgfabriken (SE) in July / August 2010, at Stockholm Culture Festival (SE) in August 2010, at KIM? Contemporary Art Centre (LV) in April / May 2011, at Rogaland Kunstsenter (NO) in May / June 2011, at Salo Art Museum (FI) in September / October 2011, at Wysing Arts Centre (UK) in October 2011. The Azolla Cooking and Cultivation Project was shortlisted finalist for the French Prix Coal 2011 prize. In 2014 the project was re-activated at Domaine De Chamarande (FR) and at Survival Kit / Umeå (SE). In 2015 it was presented at Cigarrvägen 13 in Stockholm (SE), in 2016 at Kaalstaart in Amersfoort (NL), in 2017 at Agoramania in Paris (FR) at Hauser & Wirth Somerset (UK) in 2018 and at Duplex (CA) in 2019.