Seeds of Complex Heritage
Pippin Pepper
CAPSICUM ANNUM
Pippin is a special pepper whose colorful fruits begin with a bright purple color and ripen to shades of pink salmon, deep orange and finally a soft red. The name by which this chili pepper is known - one that we prefer not to mention here - is defined by sexism and racism. In 2021, the Aterraterra duo decided to change the pepper’s name and call it “Pippin.” Horace Pippin was an American artist that saved seeds of this pepper variety. Not only a custodian of this variety, Pippin also notably used his artistic pieces to depict the everyday life of Black families, his memories from World War I and the injustices of slavery and segregation in the United States.
The story of how Horace Pippin saved the seeds of this pepper is fascinating and closely tied to his friendship with the plant enthusiast and beekeeper, William Woys Weaver. In the 1940s, Pippin, who had a bad arm due to a war injury, frequently visited Weaver to receive bee sting therapy for his rheumatic pains. In exchange, Pippin brought Weaver numerous seeds that he had acquired through his connections with West Chester, Pennsylvania’s long-standing Black community. A decade after William Woys Weaver’s death, his grandson, H. Ralph Weaver found the seeds in the freezer of his grandmother's basement among many other seeds that passed through Horace Pippin's hands.
Renaming this variety "Pippin" contrasts with the original name's racist and sexist language, which is unfortunately still commonly used, while shining light on the stories of those who faced racism yet significantly contributed to preserving biodiversity up to the present day.
SEED SAVERS
Aterraterra Lab, Palermo (Italy) ︎︎︎
Eixarcolant, Barcelona (Spain) ︎︎︎
Postane, Istanbul (Turkey) ︎︎︎
Wolves Lane Centre, London (United Kingdom) ︎︎︎
Pippin Pepper
CAPSICUM ANNUM
Pippin is a special pepper whose colorful fruits begin with a bright purple color and ripen to shades of pink salmon, deep orange and finally a soft red. The name by which this chili pepper is known - one that we prefer not to mention here - is defined by sexism and racism. In 2021, the Aterraterra duo decided to change the pepper’s name and call it “Pippin.” Horace Pippin was an American artist that saved seeds of this pepper variety. Not only a custodian of this variety, Pippin also notably used his artistic pieces to depict the everyday life of Black families, his memories from World War I and the injustices of slavery and segregation in the United States.
The story of how Horace Pippin saved the seeds of this pepper is fascinating and closely tied to his friendship with the plant enthusiast and beekeeper, William Woys Weaver. In the 1940s, Pippin, who had a bad arm due to a war injury, frequently visited Weaver to receive bee sting therapy for his rheumatic pains. In exchange, Pippin brought Weaver numerous seeds that he had acquired through his connections with West Chester, Pennsylvania’s long-standing Black community. A decade after William Woys Weaver’s death, his grandson, H. Ralph Weaver found the seeds in the freezer of his grandmother's basement among many other seeds that passed through Horace Pippin's hands.
Renaming this variety "Pippin" contrasts with the original name's racist and sexist language, which is unfortunately still commonly used, while shining light on the stories of those who faced racism yet significantly contributed to preserving biodiversity up to the present day.
SEED SAVERS
Aterraterra Lab, Palermo (Italy) ︎︎︎
Eixarcolant, Barcelona (Spain) ︎︎︎
Postane, Istanbul (Turkey) ︎︎︎
Wolves Lane Centre, London (United Kingdom) ︎︎︎