Green Varnish is an art installation located in the courtyard of the Contemporary Art Museum (CAM) in Saint Louis – a green, undulating field, made up of thousands of tiny succulents. The structure occupies approximately 200 square meters and turns its surroundings into an exuberant sculpture filled with life. Like a flying carpet, it seems to float at the edges, hovering slightly above the ground.

Green Varnish was designed by New York-based landscape architecture firm Nomad Studio, who are known for combining art and design with nature. In their award-winning work they have focused on the social and environmental impact of landscape design. The picture of a natural tapestry that covers the surface becomes a symbol for disguising inconvenient facts and realities with the help of nature. Instead, the designers try to create a discourse about the need to completely re-envision our built environment and on how to find solutions to transform it into something authentic.

Photos: Jarred Gastreich, Nomad

Read the full article in Topos 94 – City Visions