Temporary Retention Site for Atmospheric Particles 2020
5.6 x 5.6 x 3m
Printed Tricoya panels, steel drums, assorted plants, steel armature, ballast blocks, railway sleepers, IBC tanks, solar powered irrigation system, rain collection membrane
Nightingales’ Corner Public Art Programme, Berkeley Square, London W1J 6BR, Nov 2020 - May 2021
Canary Wharf Public Art, Montgomery Square, London E14 5NN, May 2021 -May 2023
Commissioned by Grosvenor Britain & Ireland
Curated by Modus Operandi
Fabricated by The White Wall Company
Berkeley Square photography and video: John Hooper
Canary Wharf photography: artist
Temporary Retention Site for Atmospheric Particles takes its inspiration from the remarkable London Plane trees of Berkeley Square. Layered bark shaped panels with printed imagery surround a series of brightly coloured metal drums, each containing an array of bioremediating plant life known for their ability to reduce air pollution in urban environments. The metal drum containers refer to the petrochemical industry, a conceptual link to London’s poor air quality. In this sculpture they are being repurposed as vessels to support biodiversity and a cleaner environment.
This artwork will temporarily endow Nightingale’s Corner with a display of plant life which will encourage biodiversity in the area and will inform the public as to which plants are particularly suitable for encouraging cleaner air in urban environments. It simultaneously offers an opportunity to appreciate the physiological and formal characteristics of the London Plane tree whilst also inviting responses about the relationship between environmental air pollution and the role nature can play in mitigating it.
“Temporary Retention Site for Atmospheric Particles addresses the issue of air pollution within our cities. Located adjacent to Berkeley Square where some of the oldest and most majestic examples of the London Plane tree can be found, this artwork looks to other species for inspiration and collaboration to improve the quality of the air we breathe. Fascinating in its physiology and form, the ubiquitous London Plane has a high tolerance for urban life due to this species’ ability to absorb pollutants from the air and exfoliate them through their bark. As the trees grow the inflexible bark forms into extraordinary biomorphic shapes creating intriguing abstract patterns in a variety of muted tones, colours, and textures.” - Rachael Champion
List of plants:
Brachyglottis senecio
Choisya ternata ‘Brica’
Eucalyptus cordata
Eucalyptus gunnii
Euonymus japonicus ‘Kathy’
Euonymus japonicus ‘Ovatus Aureus’
Euphorbia amygdaloides ‘Purpurea’
Euphorbia characias ‘Silver Swan’
Euphorbia x martini
Griselinia littoralis
Hedera helix ‘Gold Child’
Hedera helix ‘Golden Kolibri’
Heuchera x ‘Silver Scrolls’
Heuchera ‘Black Pearl’
Leucothoe fontanesiana
Ligustrum sinense ‘Variegatum’
Miscanthus sinensis ‘Adagio’
Photinia x fraseri
Pinus pinea ‘Silver Crest’
Pittosporum tenuifolium
Taxus baccata ‘Semperaurea’
Thuja occidentalis ‘Rheingold'
x Heucherella ‘Sweet Tea’