The Wilding of Mars

“The Wilding of Mars” simulates the growth of a planetary wilderness, seeded with Earth life forms. In the installation, a wild garden on Mars thrives over millennia, its growth seen to us over an hour. The plants spread north from Mars' South Pole, developing an ecosystem determined by local and global parameters of water, temperature, and nutrients. Like other ‘frontiers,’ Mars is seen by some humans as open for exploitation, whether or not indigenous life exists there. Instead, “The Wilding of Mars” prioritizes a nonhuman perspective with plants visibly growing and colonizing the terrain. Plant life takes Mars in a different direction and Mars may take life elsewhere. Could we imagine Mars––a planet of extreme storms, freezing temperatures, and an atmosphere poisonous to humans primarily of carbon dioxide––colonized only by plants that adapt and flourish without us? Two simulations run in parallel, reminding us that there are other paths life could take. Might leaving the planet to other life forms be the ultimate unnatural act for humans?