PLEASE NOTE THAT DUE TO THE PANDEMIC ALL DATES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE

PRESENT BY NATURE: exploring the cosmology of a leftover land
Roberta Di Cosmo (designer and researcher), Matilde Patuelli (social researcher and storyteller) and Raphael Flipo (product designer) give a presentation on their research into the plant and animal life around Plot 003 | Insects: one of the five outdoor installations in the Merwe-Vierhavens area that is part of the WATERSCHOOL M4H+ exhibition.

^{WATERSCHOOL M4H+ Insects Scenario Visualization}

^{artist's impression Studio Makkink & Bey with Juhee Hahm}

French gardener, garden designer, botanist, entomologist and writer Gilles Clément, defines the Third Landscape as an undetermined fragment of land - designing the sum of the space left over by man to landscape evolution - to nature alone. Included in this category are left behind urban or rural sites, transitional spaces, neglected land, wastelands, roadsides, shores, railroad embankments, etc. Space for green biotopes is essential, plants and insects are essential for the functioning of all ecosystems. What does an area development like M4H need to welcome and attract insects? How do you anticipate a transition to more light-hearted forms of agricultural architecture to give the green biotope its space in this new district?

Starting from the notion of a Third Landscape, Di Cosmo, Patuelli and Flipo dive into the exploration of Plot 003, an island of the archipelago of leftover land of Rotterdam, and meet its inhabitants. Throughout the experience, insects and plants have been the leading voice of the participatory act in the intervention area. Plot 003 has been experienced as an open construction site where they operated with an archaeological approach. Here the barriers and limits stay open and float, ready to intersect and transform. Plants and insects are liberated from all those forces that try to tame them and are free to be whimsical.
The designers took their cue from the textures and plant density, the number of insects and how they move, the structure of the soil and the movement of light and shade. Observation and proximity to the space allowed them to map how it looks today and stimulate curiosity, outlined through small acts to narrate their experience.

Registration
This presentation takes place outdoor, therefore pre-registration is not necessary.

Time and location
Friday, June 25, 5 – 7 pm
Galileistraat 20, Rotterdam, at Plot 003 | Insects

Language
The presentation will be in English.

visitors information
For more visitors information, such as directions, location and our Covid-19 guidelines, click here.