Font + Foliage

I am fond of any installation that engages the public through the introduction of vegetation into a hard and static environment. For The design competition "Finding Refuge – Huguenots in Berlin", msk7 developed the blümerant installation for Gendarmenmarkt in Berlin. The Gendarmenmarkt is a square in Berlin, and the site of the Konzerthaus and the French and German Cathedrals. This project takes as its subject-matter the influence of the French language on the Berlin vernacular.

Msk7 group is a project-oriented team that creates temporary events in public spaces.
Project + photos courtesy of msk7

concept courtesy of msk7-

"Just as the Huguenots were integrated into the city, parts of their vocabulary have also become embedded in the language here, sometimes becoming inextricably entwined with it. The letters of the words coined lie in columns and rows in 4m x 4m squares, structuring the Gendarmenmarkt. The ensuing “crossword puzzle” made up of special vegetation mats creates conceptual links between French and German, whilst in situ it establishes spatial connections between the French Cathedral and its German pendant."

The portion of this project that stood out for me was the sponsorship provided by the progressive Berlin Senate Culture Department, Grants and Project Support Division, who keep work like this funded. This project, and the government endorsement provided, has me thinking the west coast of BC is ready for an environmentally themed public installation.....Stay tuned. For more information please visit the msk7 website.