We are Leslie Kuo and Sara Bouchard, two artists who live in Berlin and New York, respectively. In this project, we take a closer look at plants in our two cities, from fledgling trees in vacant lots to potted plants on windowsills, from planned parks to guerilla gardens.
What relationship does each plant have to its man-made environment? Does it struggle to survive or live in symbiosis with people? Was it planted or did it take root on its own? And how do we humans relate to our green neighbors?
On research walks, we collect images, videos, drawings and writings about the plants we meet. Our project log books have become a mix of scientist’s notebook and artist’s sketchbook; our idea of “research” ranges from learning tree identification to imagining the stories of our favorite specimens.
Ultimately, we’re interested in city plants because we’re interested in city communities and communication. On this website, and in our in-real-life art projects, we use urban plants to start a conversation about urban life.
More information about our participatory exhibitions and events on our Events page.
