Green Brush: The Technology of Domestic Plants

One of the most enduring design trends of the past decade is the integration of a growing number of plants into domestic interiors as a way to “reconnect” with nature. A parallel trend to that of indoor plants is the increasing presence of technology in our homes — we rely on interconnected domestic appliances and devices that are visually reduced to a minimum. While the plants have become more apparent, large and lush, the technological objects have a decreased visual presence, becoming thin, wireless and sleek.

The Green Brush is questioning these two opposing trends, looking at plants as technological objects backed by a billion dollar industry, optimized for climate controlled interiors and minimal gardening know-how. While plants are placed in isolation in individual pots, the internet is providing an ever denser web of information, connecting computers, appliances and humans to a global network. The Green Brush is alluding to digital processes done in software like Photoshop, where greenwashing is applied to digital images as a layer of thin veneer. Similarly, sustainability and the use of plants in architecture is often a mere decorative feature, using the visual qualities of plants for the illusion of an integrated ecology.

The exhibition will take the form of a gadget-heavy home with plants sprouting from domestic appliances, creating unlikely sculptural objects. Invited thought leaders will host curated discussion groups around the Green Brush concept in five weeks of public hybrid programming with audiences invited to join virtually. To participate in the discussion groups interested individuals can sign up through the Green Brush website. At the show’s end — which will take the form of a live-streamed event — local participants will be encouraged to take home the plant sculptures, dissolving the exhibition and moving the plants into functionally domestic spaces.

Some Place Studio

Some Place Studio, founded by Bika Rebek and Daniel Prost, is an architectural studio designing physical and virtual spaces for the public. The practice is defined by an expansive interest in contemporary issues, through the lens of architectural discourse and technology. Specifically, the Studio is interested in questions of sustainability and equity, seeking collaboration, flexibility and diversity in their work, partners and clients.