
'grow with me' by yoko ono
aluminium can, bean
image courtesy serpentine gallery
available for purchase at serpentine gallery is yoko ono's limited edition 'grow with me' - an aluminium can that holds a bona fide 'magic bean'.
the seed has been laser-etched via a patented process that reveals the word 'love' when nurtured. without coaxing, after a day or two the seed coat
will fall away to unveil the word on the inner cotyledon.
at first, the inner cotyledon is yellow, but exposure to sunlight quickly turns the coat green. the seed then begins to splay open, shooting a leaf upward,
bearing the word 'love'. nestled within ideal growing conditions inside a recyclable aluminium can, the kernel is of the species 'canavalia gladiata',
also known as the 'swordbean' - called this because the bean pods of the canavalia gladiata plant are sword shaped, and also carry many large bean seeds.
after becoming more mature the plant can be relocated into a large pot or into the ground to fully flourish. the fast growing vine will climb
and quickly cover a trellis, fence or wall. the 'message bean plant' will continue to grow for several years given it is grown in a warm climate,
or kept indoors in a cooler climate.

the seed has been laser-etched via a patented process that reveals the word 'love' when nurtured
image courtesy serpentine gallery

the 'message bean plant' will continue to grow for several years given it is grown in a warm climate, or kept indoors in a cooler climate
image courtesy serpentine gallery