The past decade has seen an overwhelming emergence of green roofs and vertical gardens, designed to combat the lack of flora in the city. Buildings around the world—from the Musée du Quai Branly in Paris, to the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco—have embraced green walls or roofs for their economical, environmental, and aesthetic values. Vertical farms and gardens are also being envisioned as new ways to feed local and organic foods to city dwellers. Largely based on the principles of hydro-ponics, vertical gardens are mostly self-sustaining because they capture large amounts of natural sunlight and water, and use wind as an energy source. In a country where cities are suffocated by high rises, cement and industrial materials, where can green space exist? As this exhibition demonstrates, one possible answer is “up.”

Vertical Gardens features over two dozen projects, both imaginary and real by an international array of artists and architectural practitioners, including local studios Rael San Fratello Architects, Min Day, Boor Bridges Architecture, GLS Landscape | Architecture, environmental designer Lisa Lee Benjamin, and local nursery Flora Grubb Gardens. Additional pieces by Abruzzo Bodziak Architects; ATOPIA with The Harrison Studio; Bob Bingham and Claire Hoch; Patrick Blanc; Bohn & Viljoen Architects; Dickson Despommier, Eric Ellingsen, SOA Architects, Blake Kurasek; Evo Design with Mica Gross and Rogers Design Group; Todd Haiman; Haus-Rucker-Inc.; Edmundo Ortega and Dianne Rohrer (Co-Founders, Mundo Verde Ortega); Claude Boullevraye de Passillé; Oda Projesi;; Naomi Reis; Roomservices (Evren Uzer and Otto Von Busch); and SITE (Denise MC Lee, Sara Stracey and James Wines). Extensive photographic documentation of existing buildings containing vertical farms, gardens or green roofs by Hundertwasser; Renzo Piano with Chong Partners and Stantec; Emilio Ambasz & Associates; Humpert Wolnitzek; Chad Oppenheim Architecture and Design; Musson Cattell Mackey Partnership, Downs/Archambault & Partners, LMN Architects; Scandinavian Green Roof Institute; Conservation Design Forum of Chicago and Atelier Dreieitl of Germany; Enrique Browne and Borja Huidobro with Ricardo Judson and Rodrigo Iturriaga; and others.

Hours
The gallery is free and open to the public Monday through Friday from 9:00 am-5:00 pm. All are welcome.

Curated by
Vertical Gardens is an exhibition produced by Exit Art and is the third exhibition in Exit Art’s SEA (Social Environmental Aesthetics) program – a unique endeavor conceived by Papo Colo, Co-Founder/Artistic Director, that presents a diverse multimedia exhibition program and permanent archive of artworks that address social and environmental concerns. SEA assembles artists, activists, scientists and scholars to address environmental issues through presentations of visual art, performances, panels and lecture series that communicate international activities concerning environmental and social activism. This exhibition was conceived by Papo Colo and curated by Jeanette Ingberman, Lauren Rosati, and Herb Tam of Exit Art in New York City and was presented at Exit Art from March 28 – June 6, 2009.

Exhibition Support
Exit Art, New York, Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Bloomberg LP, Carnegie Corporation, Jerome Foundation, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn, O’Grady Foundation, Pollock-Krasner Foundation, Public Funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, a State Agency, Starry Night Fund at The Tides Foundation.

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