Artists and Projects

Giant Vegetables in Seaforth

Local Gardeners are needed for 2009 trials of ‘wonder resin’, Orgonite,

Solid resin-based material, Orgonite, has been used in East Sussex to grow giant vegetables in a trial run by journalist Mark Bennett. Now he has teamed up with EcoLogicCool in Brighton and Liverpool Biennial, to conduct a much larger trial starting in 2009, and is seeking gardeners to participate and document the growing harvest and resulting crop.

Orgonite is a simple mixture of resin, aluminium shavings and a crystal, the Orgonite technology is derived from William Reich, who developed the idea of orgone energy and how it affects the human body and nature. Orgone is known in different cultures as chi, prana, ki or mana and Reich developed a range of technologies to harness and focus this area. Kate Bush sang about it in her song, ‘Cloudbusting’. William Burroughs was known to be a regular user of an Orgone Accumulator which is claimed to focus life energy and attributed it to his vitality in later life.
 
Following an unexpected arrival of a large box of Orgonite from a friend in 2008, Mark spent time researching the resin and its effects on plants. He found several websites that documented the growing of vegetable gardens with Orgonite. The resulting crops were large; in stark contrast to the control crops grown without Orgonite.
 
Mark needed is own proof. He started with simple seed germination tests of alfalfa sprouts using a control sample without Orgonite. The tests were repeated with strict measurements to rule out errors. The results showed a threefold increase in the volume of sprouts with Orgonite. He began supplying the Orgonite to friends who had allotments and gardens for them to try it out with amazing results!.
 
Mark will be talking about Orgonite and recruiting gardeners for the trial at The Former Post Office, Stella Precinct, Seaforth on May 23rd at 4pm.  Gardeners will be signed up to the trial until supplies of the Orgonite run out. Participants can have any level of gardening experience and will receive free Orgonite, a questionnaire and a disposable camera to photograph their results during the trial.
 
If you don’t want to participate in the actual trial you can still come along, listen to the talk and ask Mark questions about this new experimental gardening.

This project is a part of the wider programme of activity surrounding the Biennial's 2009 Urbanism project.  Read more about it here.