Ron Benner

Based in London, Ontario, Ron Benner is an internationally recognized whose long-standing practice investigates the history and political economics of food cultures. He originally studied agriculture engineering at the University of Guelph. Finding himself ethically opposed to bioengineering, he began to travel and research the politics of plants and food. He is one of the founders of the Embassy Cultural House.

​Please visit his website for more information.









Left: Ron Benner with tropical waterlilies in his photographic/garden installation, As The Crow Flies, 2020, at Museum London. Photo Credit: Jamelie Hassan

Earth Day 2021: Stop Extinction! Restore the Earth

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Ron Benner, "Remains in association with...", digital colour print, 2021
Artist Statement: The dried grains, seeds and vegetables in the photograph are from Asia, Africa, Southern Europe and the Americas: rice, sorghum, chickpeas, lentils, chili peppers, beans, maize, etc. representing a biodiversity reaching back in time to when humans first began to farm wild plants about 10,000 years ago. The cultural deposits, ceramic and glass shards, were found in the soils of Iraq, Jordan, Mexico, and Turtle Island/Canada by myself, Jamelie Hassan and William Kingfisher. As cultures have disappeared so have many of the plant varieties that sustained them for thousands of years. The loss of biodiversity affects us all.

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US Elections 2020: Hiding in Plain Sight 

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Ron Benner, "Trans/mission: November 17, 2019", 2020; Digital print & mixed media - Oaxacan cochineal & lime juice on watercolour paper
Artist Statement: November 17, 2019. I couldn't get it out of my head. "A transnational crime syndicate masquerading as a government". It was a reverberating echo. It was there for months.

In 1992, I returned to Oaxaca, Mexico to research the natural colours of indigo, a translucent blue and cochineal, a deep red, that have been used by indigenous peoples of that region for thousands of years. At that time I began a series of works that continue to this day which also involved return trips to Oaxaca in 2012 and an exhibition at the Biblioteca Henestrosa in 2013. The exhibition included a presentation of related works from my research into native American economic plants and watercolours created in the Ethnobotanical Garden of Oaxaca.
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 October 8, 2020. I found the Mexican stencils I had used 28 years ago, ground up the cochineal insects, squeezed the limes and mixed them together. I went to work. It was no longer only in my head. It's in yours too.

Ron Benner on the web
EDITORIAL TEAM

ONLINE FOUNDER
Tariq Hassan Gordon

COFOUNDERS & CURATORIAL ADVISORS  
Jamelie Hassan & Ron Benner

ADVISORY CIRCLE
Samer Abdelnour, Marnie Fleming, Wyn Geleynse, Fern Helfand, S F Ho, Lorraine Klaasen, Judith Rodger, Ruth Skinner, Mary Lou and Dan Smoke,  and Lucas Stenning 

COORDINATING EDITORS
Tariq Hassan Gordon & Olivia Mossuto

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS
Blessy Augustine, Anahí González, Ira Kazi, ​Shelley Kopp, Ashar Mobeen & Michelle Wilson. 

VIRTUAL TOUR
Andreas Buchwaldt
OUR STORY
Artists Jamelie Hassan and Ron Benner and jazz musician Eric Stach founded the Embassy Cultural House (1983-1990) located in the restaurant portion of the Embassy Hotel at 732 Dundas Street in East London. In 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Embassy Cultural House was re-envisioned as a virtual artist-run space and website. 
The Embassy Cultural House gratefully acknowledges the support of the Canada Council for the Arts, the Ontario Arts Council and the London Arts Council through the City of London's Community Arts Investment Program.
The Embassy Cultural House is thankful for the Mentorship program established by the Visual Arts department and the continued support of the students and faculty of Arts & Humanities at Western University. 

Thank you to our partners

E M B A S S Y  C U L T U R A L  H O U S E . C A

The Embassy Cultural House (ECH) is located in London, Ontario, Canada on the traditional lands of the Anishinaabeg, Haudenosaunee, Lenape, Attawandaron and Huron-Wendat peoples, at the forks of Deshkan Ziibi (Antler River), an area subject to the Dish with One Spoon Wampum and other treaties. The ECH strives to create meaningful relationships between the Indigenous Peoples of Turtle Island and our contributors. The ECH honours the stewardship of the many Indigenous peoples who have resided on these lands since time immemorial. 
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