Grow a Better World
**Nico Wilkinson, Grow a Better World, 2025, Repurposed vending machine, multimedia sculpture, vending machine pods, wildflower seeds, 10” x 1"
"Grow a Better World" is a repurposed vending machine that dispenses small seed shakers full of Colorado drought tolerant wildflower seeds. Inspired by an ongoing conversation between and the artist and city code enforcement regarding its categorization of "weeds" versus "non-weeds," the piece is a whimsical ode to the biodiversity of Colorado. "Grow a Better World" is meant to encourage us to consider our relationship with nature and to, in turn, work in tandem with the natural world's inherent inclination toward biodiversity. Please feel free to grab your own seed shaker to use in your garden or to dispense in any patch of land that's looking a bit too homogenous. You can ask the gallery attendant for a quarter.
For ideas on how to upcycle your seed pod once you've sprinkled the seeds, go here.
Finished Project
Initial Vision and Process
For the UCCS Heller Center Arts Exchange and later for the little free library - a vending machine that dispenses seed shakers in the form of gacha balls with holes poked in the top. Tape keeps the seeds from falling out prematurely. Once all the seeds are shaken out, there is a poem or piece of a poem for the person to enjoy. Maybe also a note to recycle the pod and keep shaking seeds?
What else do you want to grow today?
Focus on what you can grow, not what you can destroy
Tasks
I have these little wood slabs I think I'll paint the words in.