Christy Rupp

New Labels for Genetically Engineered Food, 1999-2000

plastic vessels with vinyl labels, dimensions variable
(detail)
Courtesy of Frederieke Taylor/TZíArt Gallery

The ìTerminatorî seed initially sparked my interest in the science of genetically manipulated foods. The idea that a seed could be manufactured to produce a one-time harvest, only to short-circuit its own biological need for reproduction, seems diabolical. Genetic engineering is a preoccupation with destruction, allowing life forms to be defined by death.

By turning living crops into intellectual property, biotechnology increases corporate control over food resources and production. Rather than alleviate world hunger, genetic manipulation is likely to exacerbate it by increasing growersí dependence on the corporate sector for seeds and the materials needed to grow them.