Gardens Futures is now on display at Nieuwe Instituut in Rotterdam, exploring the history and future of modern gardens. Co-curator Maria Heinrich and spatial designer Frank Bruggeman have designed the exhibition as a garden itself, structured around four themes: The Garden as World, The Politics of the Garden, Experimental Gardens, and The World as Garden. These chapters delve into our evolving relationship with gardens and explore new models.
More Than a Sanctuary
The garden is presented as both a personal retreat and a reflection of political and commercial agendas. Questions about garden ownership, urban space for green areas, the role of urban farming, colonial plant trade, and the influence of manufacturers on garden design are central to the exhibition.
A Testing Ground for Innovation
Gardens also serve as laboratories for experimentation in sustainability, biodiversity, and social justice. Examples include vertical forests, rooftop greenhouses, food forests, and community gardens, highlighting how gardens are increasingly seen as part of larger ecological systems.
The exhibition features works by renowned designers and artists such as Roberto Burle Marx, Piet Oudolf, Derek Jarman, and Michael van Gessel, alongside local Rotterdam projects like the Hofbogenpark and the Tidal Park on Brienenoord Island. Artist Ada Patterson contributes a thought-provoking piece critiquing colonial relationships in Rotterdam’s gardening history.
