Can a work of art not double as a shelter from danger or bad weather, a place to find or hide food, offering shade and darkness in an always-lit city? And can a work of art not be finite — ultimately merging with its surroundings, living on only in our memory, and remaining meaningful in that way?
An example of the latter can be found in Erasmuspark in Amsterdam-West. There lies The Miracle Garden, an 800-square-metre flower garden designed by artist Elspeth Diederix and maintained by a group of volunteers. In this publicly accessible garden, flowers bloom year-round; Diederix photographs them and shares them via the widely followed Instagram page @miraclegardening. Beyond being a feast for the eyes, the beds also serve as welcome resting and foraging spots for butterflies, bees and other insects.
SNEAKPEEK from the first chapter by Rabiaâ Benlahbib in the forthcoming book U bent hier…
