Farm in the City
Tuesday, August 26th, 2008
Within the backdrop of a global battle over fertile land, a new installation at the MoMA-affiliated P.S. 1 has the local architectural and horticultural worlds spinning. While the human population is ever-increasing, the subject of developing land for people is becoming a more pertinent one. Just between 1990 and 2010, the estimated population growth is 2 billion people (U.S. Census Bureau). Meanwhile, agricultural output may be lagging. Although that particular problem is yet to be felt in an area like the United States, another trend is absolutely changing the way people view food consumption. The demand for organic products and environmental responsibilty is getting louder. So when an art project like Public Farm 1 is conceived, people pay attention.
Public Farm 1 is created by the husband-wife artist duo Amale Andraos and Dan Wood for the Young Architects Program held annually by P.S. 1 in Long Island City, Queens. It is an absolutely fun yet functional piece of architecture that includes a kiddie pool, shade, live video of goats and pigs, an actual chicken coop filled with chickens (PS1′s cafeteria actually gathers eggs in the morning for egg sandwiches), and best of all, fresh vegetables and berries that you can pick and eat. With personal space disappearing in NYC, it’s great to know that you CAN build your own organic farm on the balcony of your crappy apartment, and this project is meant to teach you how.
