Brooklyn Bridge Park (BBP) is pleased to welcome Swale, a collaborative floating food forest where people may visit, join in the caretaking process and learn about food sustainability. Created by artist Mary Mattingly, Swale is both an evolving sculpture and a functioning farm producing healthy food. Following its voyage along the East River from Concrete Plant Park in the Bronx, Swale will be docked at Pier 6, Brooklyn Bridge Park from September 16, 2016 to October 14, 2016.
Built from recycled materials and set atop a 130×40 foot barge, Swale was created with two goals in mind: to highlight the function of food as a public resource in cities and to show that recycled materials can be made into productive and aesthetically pleasing structures. Visitors to Swale will see persimmon, bokchoy, yucca, onion, tomatillos, herbs and other perennial fruits, vegetables and medicinal plants. Water to nourish the plants is taken directly from the East River and filtered through slow sand and activated carbon filters. Rainwater is collected from the rooftop of the Biome Arts Greenhouse Theater, a pavilion on the barge that serves as a performance space, activist meeting area, and artist gallery.
Partnering with local schools and organizations, Swale will host a variety of interactive progams and events focused on sustainability and the environment, arts and culture, and health and wellness. Throughout its stay, visitors can attend yoga classes, performances, lectures, and workshops.
Swale is Mattingly’s second installation at BBP. In August 2009,Waterpod, a floating sculptural living space designed as an eco-residence for community and artist activities, was docked at Pier 5. Waterpodprovided a habitat for four artists who lived, worked and held events to further the artistic, ecological, scientific and cultural richness of New York while living aboard the space.
Swale will be open Thursday and Friday from 10am – 7pm, and Saturdayand Sunday 11am – 7pm. Groups may visit at different times by appointment.
Brooklyn Bridge Park (BBP) is the not-for-profit entity responsible for the planning, construction, maintenance and operation of Brooklyn Bridge Park, an 85-acre sustainable waterfront park spanning 1.3 miles along Brooklyn’s East River shoreline. As steward of the park, BBP has transformed this previously deteriorated stretch of waterfront into a world-class park where the public can gather, play, relax and enjoy sweeping views of New York Harbor. The self-sustaining park was designed by the award-winning firm of Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, Inc. and features expansive lawns, rolling hills, waterfront promenades, innovative playgrounds, a greenway, sports facilities and the popular Jane’s Carousel. Brooklyn Bridge Park is a signature public investment for the 21st Century and will be an enduring legacy for the communities, elected officials and public servants who made it happen. For more information, please visit brooklynbridgepark.org.
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