Via Topophilia, a competition right up our alley… from Exit Art:

VERTICAL GARDENS – DUE JANUARY 15, 2009
The past decade has seen an emergence of green roofs and vertical gardens created by artists, designers, architects and urban gardeners to combat the lack of flora in the city. Buildings around the world — from the Musée du Quai Branly in Paris, to the Queens Botanical Garden in New York — have embraced green walls or roofs for all their economical, environmental, and aesthetic values. On a more practical level, vertical farms and gardens are being envisioned as new ways to feed local and organic foods to city dwellers. Based on the principles of hydroponics, vertical gardens would also be largely self-sustaining because they would capture large amounts of natural sunlight and water, and could use wind as an energy source. Will Allen — the Milwaukee-based farmer who recently won a MacArthur Foundation “Genius” Grant, and whose two-acre organization, Growing Power, produces over $500,000 worth of affordable produce, meat and fish — has said: “I’d like to see Growing Power transform itself into a five-story vertical building being totally off the grid with renewable energy.” In a country where cities are suffocated by industrial materials, where can green space exist? One answer is: Up.

:: image via The Design Blog

These and other urban parks and gardens provide areas for socialization and recreation; a location for a city farm or community land-trust; an outlet through which hundreds of people can learn about farming and agriculture; and the addition of much needed plant and animal life to the otherwise concrete jungle.

We would like artists to submit work that explores the idea of the green roof and/or the vertical garden. Artists can, but are not limited to, create a structural rendering, examine the benefits or shortfalls, or respond critically to these sustainable gardens. DUE JANUARY 15, 2009.

About Exit Art:
Exit Art is an independent vision of contemporary culture prepared to react immediately to important issues that affect our lives. We do experimental, historical and unique presentations of aesthetic, social, political and environmental issues. We absorb cultural differences that become prototype exhibitions. We are a center for multiple disciplines.