Armagardden
Not Far Into the Future...
The year is 2045. Failure to control unbridled consumption, resource depletion, insensitive development, and booming human numbers have undermined the environmental resource base resulting in food and energy shortages. Radical changes in sustainable food and energy production are undertaken in urban centers worldwide. New designs, technologies, and social innovations are developed. Innovative tools, models, and ideas centering on a more socially just and sustainable production become necessary for the health of society.
2045 is not that far into the future. Knowing we are headed down that path, how can we creativity strengthen communities and nurture innovative approaches through art now?
Sustainability, the marginalization of nature in city life, and confrontations between natural systems and the built environment must be addressed. I am interested in using existing areas and creating disruptions by placing horticulture and alternative power in unexpected locations. These indoor/outdoor works create temporary green spaces that require care and supervision from the community. Such works demonstrate that nature can take on a new role in affording people an opportunity to engage in a constructive solution to sustainability, one that leads to consensus building and empowerment.
 Monsanto MachineMonsanto Machine - Installation View Monsanto GM corn and soybeans, fabricated metal and plastic hydroponic system. |  Monsanto Machine detailinstallation view Monsanto Machine showing GM corm and soybeans from the Monsanto Corp. |  Monsanto Machine detail |
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 GRO LabInteractive Public Work based on vertical gardens, sustainability, and the horticultural sciences. What if we had to grow our own food? How would you do this? What technologies would need to be developed? Here common commercial products found at any hardware store are reworked into the GRO Lab. |  GRO LabParticipants were encouraged to add to my research by writing on blackboard wall. A survey was also provided focusing on improvements to the area's infrastructure with regard to sustainable living and working and other quality of life concerns. Installation Nation Event sponsored by Primary Colours. Invited artists transform the interior of a shipping container on-site. |  GRO Lab |
 NX-1998167 IncubatorOff-Grid Plant Machine |  NX-1998167 IncubatorNX-1998167 Incubator as seen in Public Here, the audience is invited to walk through the Incubator and closely inspect the growth tubes that contain live plants illuminated by the off-grid LEDs. This work not only illuminates and nurtures plants in a civic space but connects the public to nature, science, and sustainability in an entertaining manner they can experience not only with their eyes but with their body. |  NX-1998167 Incubatordetail |
 Drape (vertical garden IV)watercress, fabric, irrigation system 45 x 56 x 7 inches all materials were found on site with exception to irrigation system |  Drape detail |  Drape detail |