We were Born Nameless (India’s Seeds, Pakistan’s Soil) | 2019| Installation

While researching my project, the Pulwama attack took place in Indian-occupied Kashmir, increasing the tension between India and Pakistan. There were rumors that a war might begin. Meanwhile, Indian farmers threatened to ban tomatoes from being exported to Pakistan. In this installation, I got different vegetable seeds from India and planted them on Pakistani soil. In the process, I was exposed to various embargoes on inter-country trade, as it was such a sensitive topic no retailer wanted to be involved, where finally I was able to get the seeds from my father’s Indian colleague, who met him for a conference in Sri-lanka. The complicated route of exchange only revealed further the divisions between a shared land and its people. My intention was to highlight that despite the conflict between the two countries, nature does not discriminate; the seeds from India thrive on the soil of Pakistan, and vice versa.