Greenery for CIRCUL`ARTs
Kinga Kimic

Greenery as a natural element plays a crucial role in the circularity of the space in urban contexts, thus the aim of the presentation is to focus on diversity of urban installations - examples combining greenery with art to promote a sustainable approach, and to show the impact of nature in shaping circular public spaces and sustainable communities. The sustainable approaches and practices will be presented as created by and for urban communities to draw attention and educate about circularity. The main idea, based on my research as a landscape architect, is to focus on 4 main linked together aspects: greenery-art.-sustainability-people. Solutions that affect the ability of space to transform in a circular way and respond to the different needs of its users will include examples of adaptation of 'hard' elements in the city to more sustainable through plants: flower beds arranged in diverse spatial situations, street advertising with plants, transformation of urban furniture towards green eco-installations, parklets using recycled materials, green art installations, green walls (vertical gardens), green roofs, but also indirect use of plants in art activities such as street art and murals with ecological message. Main discussion will include the identification of the 4 above-mentioned aspects in each example: the role of greenery and the scale of its participation, art perceived as various forms of artistic activities and elements (obvious/direct, subtexts, suggestions/associations), sustainability (education through the use of natural elements, sustainable materials and practices, recycling) and community (creating installations by people and for people). Benefits of the transformation of 'hard' elements through greenery in connection with artistic practices are related to the increase of the quality and attractiveness of public spaces and their ecological resilience, creating common space for people, activating communities for a dialogue, and increasing their awareness about the positive impact of sustainability on people and cities. This approach meets the main objectives of WG3 of COST Action CA 23117 CIRCULARTS.