“Another world is not only possible. She is on her way. On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing.” – Arundhati Roy

What makes good food and where does it come from? Wherecanit come from and what agency do we have as city dwellers? Is it possible to produce (and forage) meaningful amounts of food within the city? How might urban peoples start to engage with the politics of food – not just in an environmental space but a social one as well? Can we imagine a more abundant, less divided cityscape? What steps might help get us there?

These are all questions Open Homes explores, starting from small acts of agency and inspiration – a hot compost made from gifted materials – progressing/transforming into a practice of intensive backyard food production and a (small) reinvention of life in the suburbs. From a starter culture that included the lockdown, a cardboard sign, and a single table of free seedlings, the project has grown into an evolving network of many species, from soil microbes to humans and more. Now extending beyondthe New Lynn neighbourhood where it began, Open Homes’ drive to connect emphasises the collective nature of our lives, seeking to continue the generosity and mutual aid that sparked it off.

In this exhibition, gallery guests are invited to explore the world of Open Homes and the diversity that creates it, celebrated in the communal rituals of seed saving, compost building, and the growing and sharing of kai – responding to the damages of our individualistic era with a collective practice rooted in care. Will future foods continue to exploit workers and the environment, undermining the fertility on which we rely? Or do different (more abundant) possibilities await, born of our hands and the work that they share?