07 Apr 2011

aMAZElab presents GREEN ISLAND. The Green Public Library

GREEN ISLAND 2011- Isola District Milano (12th-17th April)

THE GREEN PUBLIC LIBRARY
The first Garden of wild plants in Milano
and a large 'green' network of exhibitions, events and presentations.

A project by Claudia Zanfi (director of aMAZElab / Laboratorio del Paesaggio)

GREEN ISLAND is a moment of reflection on key subjects such as sustainability, urban green and landscape as a whole. The GREEN ISLAND project, aimed at valorizing the public space, has been operating since 2002 in the Isola neighborhood of Milan, between Garibaldi Train Station and via Pepe, involving a large network of arts and crafts workshops, design and architecture studios, as well as proposing site-specific installations and projects. Many kinds of contributors (artists, photographers, designers, architects, theorists and students) have been involved in the previous editions (i.e.: Andrea Branzi; the Dutch designer Ton Matton; Lois Weinberger and his Mobile Garden, etc).

For this ninth edition Claudia Zanfi, founder of the GREEEN ISLAND project, has invited botanists, designers and landscape artists, to come up with the first garden of wild plants in Milan. The urgency of wild gardens in the city is for the ecological value, wild plants provide an ecosystem which has largely been lost; for the cultural value, although many are of distant, exotic origin, these wild plants are now an integral part of the autochthonous urban flora; for the public value, as wild plants, if cultivated carefully, are capable of displaying a range of colors and scents. An unexpected beauty, to be made available to the different communities of the neighborhood.

The project 'The Green Public Library' will be realized at Cavalcavia Bussa (at the back of the Garibaldi Railway Station) with a series of green patches and botanical tables that will decorate the wall along the back of the garden, serving as a proper 'book' for the spread and understanding of these grass species.
The seeds of the plants has been entrusted to the various international designers taking part in the project.

The garden will be inaugurated in the days of the Milano Design Week/Fuori Salone 2011 (12th – 17th April), along with a large network of exhibition and events 'green, bio, slow' in Isola District.
Among other : urban installations, photographic and art exhibitions, live music, food, design.
In this edition the GREEN NETWORK will host more than 20 international authors (from The Netherlands, Switzerland, Brazil, New York, Riga, Prague, London, etc…).


In collaboration with: Adopt a piece of Green, by Elena Comincioli + Daniele Belleri (London/Milan); with international team of designers: Andrea Branzi, Marco Ferreri, Duilio Forte, Makio Hasuike, Anna Gili.

With the partnership of: Milan City Council, department of Green Areas and Urban Policy; Province of Milan, department of Culture; Centostazioni, Roma; Polidesign, Milano; Dutch Consulate, Milano; Museo Alessi.

Media Partners: AT Casa; TKmedia; Andy Magazine; Paysage.