Soil Kitchen

Futurefarmers, Soil Kitchen

Soil Kitchen is a planned temporary public art project by Futurefarmers addressing issues of sustainability specific to the urban environment.

Futurefarmers is one of my favorite artist groups, and I have had the privilege of working with them on a number of projects (Free Soil Bus Tour, Sunshine Still/Speak Hard, A People Without a Voice Cannot Be Heard), so I was excited to see notice of this new project in Philadelphia, Soil Kitchen. The press release from the Office of Arts, Culture, and the Creative Economy describes the project –

“[Soil Kitchen] will incorporate community involvement, naturally generated energy, local foods, food exchange, the creative reuse of a brownfield site, and brownfield mapping. This new site-specific public artwork will provide a stage for interaction, dialogue, and education on topics of sustainability that impact every Philadelphian.”

It’s a tall order for a kitchen, but the project builds on a related history of Futurefarmers’ work that bodes well for its success. Victory Gardens – “A local network of home gardens = A community of food producers!” – was an exemplary community involvement project, which sought to at least reference if not recreate the remarkable “community” success of World War II victory gardens. It was also the occasion for the creation of the photogenic Garden Trike, which you can see referenced in the sketch above. Rainwater Harvester/Greywater Feedback Loop was a DIY system not unrelated to the rooftop windmill for naturally generated energy (presumably).

Futurefarmers, sketch of interior view, Soil Kitchen

Futurefarmers, sketch of interior view, Soil Kitchen

The exterior sketch of Soil Kitchen reminds me of a place like Waffle Shop in Pittsburgh, where a normative architectural facade of a restaurant belies an interior experiment in creative sociability. Inside Soil Kitchen, it’s not just dour tree huggers expounding on the chemical propertiesof this and that agent. It’s a party! For Futurefarmers’ Sunshine Still/Speak Hard project as part of Out of the Garage Into the World, they appropriated  the idea of the glamorous prohibition era speakeasy but made it a “speak hard,” where hard truths – or at least assertions in an ongoing debate between solar and bio fuel energy proponents – were debated in forums well lubricated by their sunshine still.

Abiding commitment, expert knowledge/knowledge of experts, social conviviality, a formally beautiful DIY aesthetic, and an uplifting playfulness distinguish Futurefarmers’ projects. I can’t wait to taste test in the Soil Kitchen.

Sidebar rant

Kudos to Philadelphia’s Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy for commissioning this project, but I can’t help but think that their press release headline “Philadelphia’s Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy Commissions FUTUREFARMERS for the City’s First-Ever Temporary Public Art Project” identifies just about the least interesting and unimportant aspect of the project. What’s up with that? We produced similarly unimaginative headlines for the 01SJ Biennial, and I also plead guilty as charged. The press is fascinated, of course, by “first,” “most,” “biggest,” and various other ests, but we cater to them in our short term desire for coverage at the peril of lack of understanding and ultimately support over the long term.


C02 Cube

Christophe Cornubert, The CO2 Cube in Copenhagen. Credit: Joshua Brott. via Culture Monster

Christophe Cornubert, The CO2 Cube in Copenhagen. Credit: Joshua Brott. via Culture Monster

“In Copenhagen, where the United Nations’ summit on global warming is currently underway, artists  unveiled on Monday what they are calling ‘The CO2 Cube,’ a three-story site-specific artwork that was designed by L.A.-based architect Christophe Cornubert.” — David Ng via Culture Monster

CO2 CUBE, Saint Jørgens Lake in front of Tycho Brahe Planetarium, Copenhagen Artistic concept by Alfio Bonanno  Architecture by Christophe Cornubert, PUSH  Digital imagery by Obscura Digital. Photo Joshusa Bell

CO2 CUBE, Saint Jørgen's Lake in front of Tycho Brahe Planetarium, Copenhagen Artistic concept by Alfio Bonanno Architecture by Christophe Cornubert, PUSH Digital imagery by Obscura Digital. Photo Joshusa Brott

via Millennium ART

Who knew the CO2 Cube is created out of shipping containers?

C02 Cube. Image via Obscura Digital via Curbed.

C02 Cube. Image via Obscura Digital via Curbed LA.

“Is there anything shipping containers can’t do? Here they are arranged on a barge in St. Jørgens Lake in Copenhagen to visually represent one metric ton of carbon dioxide stored at standard atmospheric pressure. An average person in an industrialized country puts that amount out monthly.

“[Architect Chrisophe] Cornubert says the message of the shipping containers is deliberate–it calls to mind Copenhagen’s local shipping industry, consumption, and reuse all at once. Two sides of the big cube are covered in a mesh fabric and act as video screens, showing art, news, data visualizations, and other content. Besides all the transportation and construction, the CO2 Cube uses two 20,000 lumen projectors, an audio system, and LED lights.”

via Curbed LA