Urban Ecosystem
Installation, 2011
“ Urban Ecosystem” is a collaborative art action which encourages each of its participants (any any inhabitant of an apartment building or office worker) to take a look at the contemporary rhythm of life and notice a mundane and simple thing – home-grown plants that can be used in food and traditional medicine. People are given the opportunity to make a practical contribution to the improvement of their living space and environment, making the visual presence of the city richer in colour and in atmosphere. The authors of the project – architect Ivars Šmits, artist Uģis Pucens and traditional culture researchers Signe Pucena and Ieva Vītola – offer a prototype of an urban garden allotment, with potatoes, lettuces and herbs growing in vertical beds on building walls. The urban vegetable patch prototype utilizes environmentally friendly and recycled materials, with special attention devoted to renewable resources – the rational use of rainwater in watering the garden, and urban composting of organic matter, which in future could significantly reduce the volume of household waste by transforming it into useful garden soil. (SERDE)
Artist's Bio:
SERDE is an interdisciplinary art group based in Aizpute. Since 2002, Aizpute has been home to an active artist residency centre, established and run by SERDE. The group is a regular participant of Latvian and international art projects and explores traditional cultural heritage material, ecological solutions and the process of transferring and adapting rural knowledge to the urban environment.