Garden Futures exhibition
V&A Dundee never cease to surprise, delight and challenge thinking.
Thank you to Dundee & Angus Chamber of Commerce and Heritage Portfolio for hosting a business breakfast yesterday with the opportunity to view the new Garden Futures exhibition.
The exhibition was thought-provoking, sharing many examples of how gardens touch our lives and impact our mental health in a positive way. Particularly poignant were photographs of gardens in war torn countries and the first community gardens created in derelict areas of New York in the 1960s.
I loved seeing historical examples of graphic design and advertising including packaging design for pesticides, WW2 posters and an advert for the world’s first robotic lawnmower - “mowbot” from 1969!
It was fascinating to learn how unusual materials are being used to create woven and knitted vessels for hydroponic systems for growing crops without soil, and in true slow fashion style, how sapling trees are ‘grown’ into furniture with a chair taking four to six years to sprout!
It was also really inspiring to hear from sponsor David Nelson from Culture and Business Scotland along with Stuart Mills from Star Dundee about the support they’ve given Dundee Observatory to ensure it remains open and continues to inspire young people to enter the space industry.
And great to catch up with other Chamber members including Fiona and Emile from Dundee Therapy Garden and to hear about the amazing work they are doing with former Armed Forces and Blue Light personal at Dudhope Park.
And I’m just hoping the rain stays off today so I can get my grass cut!
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The Garden Futures exhibition sounds like a really interesting way of looking at something we normally take for granted. Gardens are often thought of as places to relax or grow plants, but there is a lot more to them when you start thinking about the future. Climate change, changing cities, food production, wildlife, and the way people use public and private spaces can all affect what gardens might look like in the years ahead. I like exhibitions that take an ordinary subject and make you stop and think about it in a different way. Seeing the ideas, designs, and examples in person would probably make the whole topic much easier to understand than simply reading about future garden concepts online.…