Plants & Place is an artist installation by Mandeep Dhadialla exploring the impact of front gardens, environment, human and community wellbeing – part of Creative Leicestershire’s Animating Leicestershire Towns project, funded by Leicestershire County Council, Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council and Arts Council England.
The installation depicts large scale, three dimensional paper sculptures of plants commonly grown in urban front gardens. Fruit and vegetables are also created as an ode to how front gardens were used as additional land to grow food, from seed to the kitchen table. Some were shared amongst neighbours, bringing local community together. These combined exchanges between land and people promoted human wellbeing.
Over the years, the contrast of changes in declining number of front gardens to accommodate modern living has impacted on diminishing wildlife, human wellbeing and sense of community. The immersive stroll around the giant front garden invites audiences to experience an emotional response to these concerning factors and to consider care towards the impact on flourishing and/or loss of front gardens.
Join the conversation
Plants & Place is an exploration of flourishing and/or loss of front gardens that aims to ask questions about its wider impact on the natural environment, human wellbeing and sense of community.
The front garden installation is to begin a dialogue which highlights how humans and plants are connected and rely on one another to thrive by nurturing a sense of cyclical care – environmentally, emotionally, re-building community in local urban areas, encouraging a sense of place and belonging – through mutualism.
As part of the project, you are invited to join the conversation by sharing your thoughts, emotional experiences and reflections in response to the installation.
You are welcome to take part in contributing to the conversation by responding to a few questions which can be found here.
Mandeep Dhadialla | ARTIST printmaker 