Growing the Future

Overview

The towering concrete silos along the city’s waterfront will be transformed into a lush backyard wonderland this month, all in the name of art.

The Growing the Future art exhibition is a exploration and celebration of our backyard food growing communities. The idea began after artist Jean Stewart became fascinated with the abundance of greenery across Auckland. She started visiting market, community and private gardens to capture people at work growing food; which ultimately led to a series of outdoor paintings of working gardens.

From 17 to 27 April, Wynyard Quarter’s Silo Park will become a source of inspiration for those interested in natural world found in our gardens and growing food. Stewart’s large-scale painting series Workers in Dirt will be on display, the acclaimed documentary Gardening with Soul will be on screen and art workshops will be open to the public. One of the silos will also house a display offering ideas on how to grow edibles in small spaces.

A giant art collaborative artwork will be installed in the spaces between the six silos. The making of the art installation will be divided into two parts. The first being workshops run in schools and community facilities which will act as the starting point. Visitors are encouraged to set free their inner creative and contribute to the ever-growing artwork in the Silo art space. Processes for the general public will include painting, collage, 3D sculpture and printmaking together making leaves, Mexican paper flowers, vegetables, bugs, butterflies and bees to attach to a wire frame.