End of the World Garden is an ambitious and timely project that combines cultural activity, practical horticulture, and sustainability research in unexpected and innovative ways through a diverse program of public events and courses, academic partnerships, and contemporary art commissions. EotWG is based at an established two-acre forest garden site in Cornwall owned by artist Paul Chaney. Here Chaney is leading a dynamic group of artists, curators, technologists, conservationists, and horticulturalists to establish a robust platform for the critical exploration of post capitalism, new approaches to site specificity, and the changing valance of ‘the rural’ in contemporary society. The EotWG site is managed for food production. An existing horticultural facility provides the raw materials for onsite catering and biofuel is harvested onsite to provide fuel for cooking. The site has facilities in place for off-grid operation, and is fully autonomous for energy and water. A selection of agricultural buildings house basic educational spaces and camping facilities allowing visitors to engage in a year round program of activities. Regardless of the course or cultural activity being attended at EotWG, visitors and contributors are invited to actively engage in seasonal activities under the guidance of experienced horticulturalists. Similarly, visitors contribute to food preparation and outdoor cooking under the guidance of professional wild chefs. This hands-on approach provides the experiential ground for ongoing cross-disciplinary explorations of the project’s themes. Emerging and established artists are invited to develop new works and research using EotWG as a base. Visitors are exposed to artist’s practices during artist led workshops, seminars, and opening events – EotWG will begin hosting its first residency program during 2016. EotWG is a centre for new research critically examining scenarios and theory predicated on current ecological and political crises. We plan to publish our research in print, online, and disseminate through partnerships with national and international cultural institutions. Food production, food security and the changing economic and social significance of the rural are pressing contemporary issues. There is a developing focus away from urban centres onto the regions, driven by a growing awareness of sustainability issues within the agricultural sector, and the fact that urban social structures are collapsing under the strain of property speculation. The ‘countryside’ can no longer be seen as an escape, utopia or site of romantic contemplation; it must play a crucial role in conceiving a future beyond the current crisis.
