BRIEF

Plastic Water Lilies - Mid-Lake Floating Art Installation, Venice, Italy

Venice the ”Water Fath” floating installation a the time of the Venice Biennale 2010

In the heart of Venice, Italy, lies San Giuliano park. For decades this site was not a park at all, but rather a huge dump site for toxic waste. A massive clean-up operation funded by the EU has turned the area into a ecological, recreational, family-oriented park.

In 2011, the city of Venice - in search for creative ways to transform the area - invited me to create an ecological art installation in or around an artificial lake at the center of the now-park.

Inspired by Claude Monet Waterlilies, I created an installation of floating empty plastic soda-bottles, all from the region. With the help of local school children and art students, I designed, cut, colored and installed the art piece in a huge lakeside tent. Then the floating installation was dragged to its position mid-lake by tug boats and anchored in place with concrete blocks.

Though unplanned, the art installation has also become a nesting site for a variety of water birds.