21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa

Green Bridge is installed so as to bridge over the glass corridor penetrating one courtyard of the Museum. Some 100 plant varieties suited to Kanazawa’s climate have been selected and planted on a wall just 14 centimeters thick in an arrangement effectively displaying their distinctive shapes and colors. Japanese beautyberry, dotted bellflower, and other plants preferring sun were chosen for the north side, which faces on the main courtyard area, while hydrangea, Japanese iris, and other plants collected from the mountains of Kanazawa were planted on the south side, where the volume of light is small. Blanc’s theory that plants can adapt to new environments if they simply have what they need to survive has found expression in a work of art that delights viewers throughout the seasons.

Patrick BLANC
Born in Paris in 1953. Lives and works in Paris.
A botanist as well as an artist, Patrick Blanc has extensively researched plant adaptability to harsh environments. Struck by how plants can grow even under extremely limited conditions, he began to design vertical gardens by applying a special felt to a building wall or other vertical surface and planting vegetation on it.

Production year: 2004
Media and technique: plants, polyvinyl chloride, felt, steel
Size: 468 x 1258 x 14 cm