[[File:Beeld.jpg|frame|Chromolithograph by W. Koehler, after Ernst Haeckel’s 1882 painting of Nillu bushes and hanging bamboo in the highlands of Sri Lanka, printed in Haeckel’s Wanderbilder (1905) [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Lithographs_by_Ernst_Haeckel Source]]]
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Wikipedia and Wikidata are used worldwide to train language software, such as translation apps and autocomplete functions in search engines. Wikipedia and Wikidata data is accessible and free of charge, the information is up-to-date and exists in many different languages.
When organic trees look for how they are represented in these databases, cultural and power structures become visible. This work makes it clear, for example, that not all languages are present in the same way. Moreover, the search term tree leads to individual trees, such as the chestnut tree that grew next to Anne Frank's house. Whereas even a child can easily point to a tree in physical life, the concept of a tree is a challenge for programmers in the digital world.
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== Wikified Colonial Botany ==
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This is the result of the classification culture that prevailed in the 18th century, and more specifically of the Swedish physician and scientist Carl Linnaeus. His classification system lies at the basis of contemporary botanical nomenclature. A tree is non-existent in this nomenclature, in the belief that any plant can potentially grow into a tree, depending on the climate in which it is located.
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''Wikified Colonial Botany'' is a proposal to look for otherness in the online encyclopedia Wikipedia and its structural referent Wikidata.
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'When organic trees meet the data tree' gives a voice to trees, algorithms and people. Their visual stories give a critical view on the creation process of apps and other software we use on a daily basis.
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The otherness in this work is represented by trees. These other-than-human beings are an essential part of colonial histories, as there existed an intimate relationship between botanical science, commerce and state politics. As Londa Schiebinger and Claudia Swan state in their book ''Colonial Botany'', ‘colonial endeavours moved plants and knowledge of plants promiscuously around the world’.
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Non-western trees were not only moved during that period, they were also renamed by Europeans, using Linnaeus’ classification system. These Latin names are still the global standard today. Their medicinal, edible and material uses were commodified. Botanical gardens were created worldwide as part of the colonial economic exploration policy.
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Realisation: Anaïs Berck, Gijs de Heij
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Wikipedia is the most used online source for facts. It is multilingual, daily updated and freely available. Its pages are analysed and added as structural data in Wikidata. This data and all Wikipedia texts are worldwide an important source for developing and training new software's that co-shape our world.
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Trees: all species belonging to the families defined on Wikipedia
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''Wikified Colonial Botany'' shows how Wikipedia and Wikidata represent some major trees originating from different continents. By looking at their quantitative and qualitative descriptions in different languages, ''Wikified Colonial Botany'' hopes to give a sense of how the representation of these other-than-human beings is dependent on perspectives and global relationships.
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Code: Python, Sparqle, Turtle, Jinja, Imagemagick
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=== (Re)sources ===
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Collections: Wikidata, Wikipedia
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* [https://gitlab.constantvzw.org/diversions/diversions-2019/tree/master/wikidata Code for this project]
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<small>A conversation with Anaïs about the two versions of this project recorded in June 2020</small>
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* Tools: Python, Gimp, Scribus
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[[File:Anais.mp3]]
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* Inspiration: Visits to the Botanical Gardens of Bali, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Meise.
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* References: Londa Schiebinger & Claudia Swan, ''Colonial Botany'', University of Pennsylvania Press, Philadelphia, 2007; Patricia Fara, Sex, ''Botany and Empire'', Icon Books, London, 2017; Guy De Kinder, ''ABC van het plantenlatijn: betekenis van botanische namen'', Guy De Kinder, Melle, 2010.
''La Botanique Coloniale Wikifiée'' est une proposition de recherche de l’altérité dans l’encyclopédie en ligne Wikipedia et son référent structurel Wikidata. L’altérité dans ce travail est représentée par les arbres. Ces êtres autres qu’humains sont une partie essentielle de l’histoire coloniale car il existait une relation intime entre la science botanique, le commerce et la politique étatique. Comme le disent Londa Schiebinger et Claudia Swan dans leur livre ''Botanique coloniale'': « les entreprises coloniales ont déplacé les plantes et la connaissance des plantes indifféremment dans le monde ».
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== Wikified Colonial Botany ==
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Les arbres non occidentaux n’ont pas seulement été déplacés pendant cette période, ils ont aussi été rebaptisés par les Européens, en utilisant le système de classification de Linnéus, dont les noms latins sont encore aujourd’hui la norme mondiale. Les utilisations médicinales, comestibles et matérielles furent ainsi marchandisées et les jardins botaniques furent créés dans le monde entier comme composants de la politique d’exploration économique coloniale.
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''Wikified Colonial Botany'' is a proposal to look for otherness in the online encyclopedia Wikipedia and its structural referent Wikidata.
+
The otherness in this work is represented by trees. These other-than-human beings are an essential part of colonial histories, as there existed an intimate relationship between botanical science, commerce and state politics. As Londa Schiebinger and Claudia Swan state in their book ''Colonial Botany'', ‘colonial endeavours moved plants and knowledge of plants promiscuously around the world’.
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Wikipedia est la source en ligne la plus utilisée pour la recherche de faits, le site est multilingue et les mises à jour sont quotidiennes et disponibles gratuitement. Ses pages sont analysées et ajoutées en tant que données structurelles dans Wikidata. Ces données et tous les textes de Wikipédia sont une source importante pour le développement et la formation de nouveaux logiciels qui co-façonnent notre monde.
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Non-western trees were not only moved during that period, they were also renamed by Europeans, using Linnaeus’ classification system. These Latin names are still the global standard today. Their medicinal, edible and material uses were commodified. Botanical gardens were created worldwide as part of the colonial economic exploration policy.
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''La Botanique Coloniale Wikifiée'' montre comment Wikipedia et Wikidata présentent des arbres majeurs provenant de différents continents. En examinant leurs descriptions quantitatives et qualitatives dans différentes langues, ''La Botanique Coloniale Wikifiée'' espère donner une idée de la façon dont la représentation de ces êtres autres qu’humains dépend des perspectives et des relations globales.
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Wikipedia is the most used online source for facts. It is multilingual, daily updated and freely available. Its pages are analysed and added as structural data in Wikidata. This data and all Wikipedia texts are worldwide an important source for developing and training new software's that co-shape our world.
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=== (Re)sources ===
+
''Wikified Colonial Botany'' shows how Wikipedia and Wikidata represent some major trees originating from different continents. By looking at their quantitative and qualitative descriptions in different languages, ''Wikified Colonial Botany'' hopes to give a sense of how the representation of these other-than-human beings is dependent on perspectives and global relationships.
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* [https://gitlab.constantvzw.org/diversions/diversions-2019/tree/master/wikidata Code pour le projet]
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* Outils: Python, Gimp, Scribus
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* Inspiration: Visites aux Jardins Botaniques de Bali, Singapoure, Kuala Lumpur, Meise.
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* Références: Londa Schiebinger & Claudia Swan, ''Colonial Botany'', University of Pennsylvania Press, Philadelphia, 2007; Patricia Fara, ''Sex, Botany and Empire'', Icon Books, London, 2017; Guy De Kinder, ''ABC van het plantenlatijn: betekenis van botanische namen'', Guy De Kinder, Melle, 2010.
''Koloniale Wikiplantkunde'' is een voorstel om op zoek te gaan naar het anders-zijn in de online encyclopedie Wikipedia en de structurele versie ervan in Wikidata. Het anders-zijn in dit werk wordt vertegenwoordigd door bomen. Deze anders-dan-menselijke wezens vormen een essentieel onderdeel van de koloniale geschiedenis. Er bestond een intieme relatie tussen botanische wetenschap, handel en staatspolitiek. Zoals Londa Schiebinger en Claudia Swan in hun boek ‘Colonial Botany’ stellen: “Koloniale inspanningen hebben planten en kennis van planten over de hele wereld op een promiscue manier verplaatst”.
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Niet-westerse bomen werden in die periode niet alleen verplaatst, ze werden door Europeanen ook hernoemd volgens het classificatiesysteem van Linnaeus. Deze Latijnse namen zijnvandaag nog steeds de standaard wereldwijd. De medicinale, eetbare en materiële toepassingen van bomen en planten werden gecommercialiseerd. Botanische tuinen werden wereldwijd aangelegd als onderdeel van de koloniale economische exploratiepolitiek.
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Wikipedia is de meest gebruikte online bron voor feiten. Het is een meertalig platform, dagelijks bijgewerkt en gratis beschikbaar. De pagina‘s worden tegelijkertijd geanalyseerd en toegevoegd als structurele gegevens in Wikidata. Die gegevens en alle Wikipedia-teksten vormen wereldwijd een belangrijke bron voor het ontwikkelen en trainen van nieuwe software die onze wereld mee vormgeeft.
''Koloniale Wikiplantkunde'' toont hoe Wikipedia en Wikidata enkele belangrijke bomen uit verschillende continenten vertegenwoordigen. Door hun kwantitatieve en kwalitatieve beschrijvingen in verschillende talen te bekijken, hoopt ''Koloniale Wikiplantkunde'' een idee te geven van hoe representatie van deze andere-dan-menselijke wezens afhankelijk is van perspectieven en internationale relaties.
* [https://gitlab.constantvzw.org/diversions/diversions-2019/tree/master/wikidata Code voor het project]
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<small>Anne Laforet, October 2020</small>
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* Gereedschappen: Python, Gimp, Scribus
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* Inspiratie: Bezoeken aan botanische tuinen in Bali, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Meise.
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* Referenties: Londa Schiebinger & Claudia Swan, ''Colonial Botany'', University of Pennsylvania Press, Philadelphia, 2007; Patricia Fara, ''Sex, Botany and Empire'', Icon Books, London, 2017; Guy De Kinder, ''ABC van het plantenlatijn: betekenis van botanische namen'', Guy De Kinder, Melle, 2010.
Wikipedia and Wikidata are used worldwide to train language software, such as translation apps and autocomplete functions in search engines. Wikipedia and Wikidata data is accessible and free of charge, the information is up-to-date and exists in many different languages.
When organic trees look for how they are represented in these databases, cultural and power structures become visible. This work makes it clear, for example, that not all languages are present in the same way. Moreover, the search term tree leads to individual trees, such as the chestnut tree that grew next to Anne Frank's house. Whereas even a child can easily point to a tree in physical life, the concept of a tree is a challenge for programmers in the digital world.
This is the result of the classification culture that prevailed in the 18th century, and more specifically of the Swedish physician and scientist Carl Linnaeus. His classification system lies at the basis of contemporary botanical nomenclature. A tree is non-existent in this nomenclature, in the belief that any plant can potentially grow into a tree, depending on the climate in which it is located.
'When organic trees meet the data tree' gives a voice to trees, algorithms and people. Their visual stories give a critical view on the creation process of apps and other software we use on a daily basis.
Realisation: Anaïs Berck, Gijs de Heij
Trees: all species belonging to the families defined on Wikipedia
Code: Python, Sparqle, Turtle, Jinja, Imagemagick
Collections: Wikidata, Wikipedia
A conversation with Anaïs about the two versions of this project recorded in June 2020
v2: 25.06.2020
v1: 10.10.2019
Wikified Colonial Botany
Wikified Colonial Botany is a proposal to look for otherness in the online encyclopedia Wikipedia and its structural referent Wikidata.
The otherness in this work is represented by trees. These other-than-human beings are an essential part of colonial histories, as there existed an intimate relationship between botanical science, commerce and state politics. As Londa Schiebinger and Claudia Swan state in their book Colonial Botany, ‘colonial endeavours moved plants and knowledge of plants promiscuously around the world’.
Non-western trees were not only moved during that period, they were also renamed by Europeans, using Linnaeus’ classification system. These Latin names are still the global standard today. Their medicinal, edible and material uses were commodified. Botanical gardens were created worldwide as part of the colonial economic exploration policy.
Wikipedia is the most used online source for facts. It is multilingual, daily updated and freely available. Its pages are analysed and added as structural data in Wikidata. This data and all Wikipedia texts are worldwide an important source for developing and training new software's that co-shape our world.
Wikified Colonial Botany shows how Wikipedia and Wikidata represent some major trees originating from different continents. By looking at their quantitative and qualitative descriptions in different languages, Wikified Colonial Botany hopes to give a sense of how the representation of these other-than-human beings is dependent on perspectives and global relationships.
