Of all the millions of species that have ever lived on Earth, Homo Sapiens is the only one that has significantly altered the climate and landscape on a global scale, impacting all living species. Our cities, energy use, infrastructure, production sites, and plantations are consuming more and more land, sea, and air. How can we ensure welfare and sustainable living in the future? There is no single answer. Multiple perspectives and paths together can create a spectrum of possibilities. Odd New Spring presents designer Siren Elise Wilhelmsen's approach to the current environmental concerns. It is based on an exploration of unwanted plant species, also known as Invasive Alien Plant Species (IAPS). These are plants introduced to areas outside their natural habitat due to human activities. They may have been intentionally introduced for agriculture, horticulture, or other purposes, or they may have arrived unintentionally through transport or trade. Thousands of alien plant species exist in Norway, but only a few are considered invasive. These introduced plants are highly adaptable, fast-growing, and robust, risking the spread to new environments, disturbing local ecosystems, and competing with native species. As a result, they are often managed through cutting, covering, disposal, or using chemicals, which in turn bring both ecological and economic challenges.

Siren Elise Wilhelmsen is a designer and researcher exploring methods, tools, and topics for discussing, imagining and planning for future life on our transformed planet. Through her PhD project, Odd New Spring: Towards Evolving Landscapes and a Reorientation in Design Practice, 72 Invasive Alien Plant Species (IAPS) have become collaborators, allies, and resources for learning and developing. As a group, these often unwanted and sometimes forbidden plants offer a unique perspective on topics such as plant-human relationships, nature conservation, and local production. Individually, they hold rich stories of historical, cultural, and artistic significance.

Through an open and curious approach, Odd New Springchallenges the prevailing perception of these plants as harmful species. The project juxtaposes our relationship with them against sustainability, production, consumption, and the management of natural resources in our local landscapes. These relationships and the possibilities for change have been explored through mapping, observation, dialogue, interdisciplinary knowledge exchange, and numerous plant and material studies. The goal has been to investigate methods and strategies for place-based design practice, focusing on the designer's role as a communicator and developer of positive future scenarios and sustainable material culture.

The plants carry stories from different places and times. In the work, they weave together the past and future, creating a canvas for reflecting on connections and relationships in the present. Odd New Spring appeals to a new type of interaction with the plants and landscapes, inviting the audience to engage actively beyond merely observing the physical objects.

The gathered information and stories have uncovered new connections, innovation opportunities, and potential areas for future research. A new landscape of knowledge and understanding is evolving. The website serves as a presentation for the researcher's observations and reflections, and the results from the project. It does not claim to provide a comprehensive inventory of solutions, meanings, or behaviours for the future, but rather serves as a collection of reflections, examples, and insights from the still ongoing project.

Events and updates will be shared on this page.

The PhD Results are presented at the University Museum in Bergen, the Natural History Collections, in June 2024.