A FLOATING GARDEN AT REGENT’S PARK
by Linaria, with Michela Pasquali and Sara Di Costanzo, landscape architects, and Veronica Montanino, artist
Press office: Gianfranco Valleriani – 07480955281 – g.valleriani@gmail.com
The Regent’s Park, Lake at Queen Mary’s Gardens, Inner Circle
London, May 16 – June 7, 2015
Underwater vegetation and wildlife in urban canals and rivers is becoming scarce. Floating Garden intends to raise public awareness about underwater vegetation and wildlife in urban water bodies and rivers. An archipelago of small floating islands create a new imaginative ecosystem. Floating wetlands activate the lake for new wildlife: improving water quality, providing benefits including: food and shelter for fish, frogs, and invertebrates; shading which reduces water temperatures and submerged weed growth; habitat for butterflies and birds.
An archipelago of small floating islands will create a new ecosystem that mimic natural wetlands and activate the canal for new wildlife.
THE PROJECT
Thirtyfive discs, linked together underwater, are positioned and fixed on both side of the lake’s little bridge. All discs are are in polystyrene of three different circumference: from 30 cm to 80 cm.
All the discs are covered with plastic painted banners that mimic the bright colours that are visible in nature.
Various aromatics shrubs and flowers of different dimensions and colours are positioned on some of the discs.
Michela Pasquali, landscape architect
Founder of Linaria, deals with gardens and public gardens in urban areas. Curator of green events for the International Festival CinemAmbiente of Turin, she directed the publishing series on garden and landscape “Oltre i giardini” for Bollati Boringhieri. She has published articles and books, including “I giardini di Manhattan. Storie di guerrilla gardens”.
Sara Di Costanzo, landscape architect
With a degree in landscape architecture at the Sapienza University in Rome, Sara is working wit Linaria and also as floral designer. She partecipate at the project Frutta Urbana, organizing the online maps and the workshops.
Veronica Montanino, artist
She realizes site-specific installations and her use of colour escapes from boundaries of closed surfaces, incorporating common objects, and contaminating spaces. In 2011 participates at the 54th International Art Exhibition of Venice at the Italian Pavilion at the Arsenale. She has made three major site-specific artworks at the Museum MAAM/Metropoliz in Rome.
Linaria
Linaria is an independent, non-profit association based in Italy, which aims to promote the culture of gardens, landscapes and environments.
The garden and the landscape are places where today’s cultural and societal diversity converge. Linaria works through an interconnected system of activities including projects, research, and teaching.
Linaria has three, entwined pillars built upon temporary or permanent platforms: creation (as a method for exploration, investigation, and experimentation); process and participation (as constitutive elements of its own development).
