Healing The Cut-Bridging the Gap: Community art

Healing The Cut-Bridging the Gap
Healing the Cut – Bridging the Gap was originally conceived in 1993 by artists Oliver Kellhammer and Janis Bowley as part of Vancouver’s Grandview Cut Bridges public art competition.

The construction of the new bridges had already done considerable damage to the cut’s forest cover and the public was becoming increasingly concerned about further negative impacts to the ecology. This situation was unfolding in a context in which green space was already scarce—the surrounding neighbourhood had one of the lowest park space per capita ratios in the city.

They decided therefore to propose a public art project in which their focus would be directed not primarily on embellishing the bridge but instead, on restoring the cut’s damaged ecology. The result was this preliminary design for Healing the Cut-Bridging the Gap, in which they envisioned the new Victoria Drive bridge functioning primarily as a viewing platform from which the public could observe their restoration of the forest in the ravine.

To help with this, they incorporated a telescope into the design, built into an alcove, halfway across the bridge’s span. They planned to repair the erosion in the ravine using hundreds of willow and cottonwood cuttings, which would sprout roots and hold the soil together. Their design also called for a number of nest boxes to be installed in the damaged ravine. The entrance holes were sized to attract small, cavity-nesting birds such as chickadees and violet-green swallows. A healthy population of birds would ensure a continuous ‘seed-rain’ of native plant species falling onto the site, via the birds’ droppings, along with the important plant nutrients, nitrogen and phosphorous.

To contextualize a forest is redundant because it already is by itself a beauty that does not need any explanation but “it is.” However to talk about the concept involve is inspiring. To get rid of the ego of the artist in pro of rebuilding and conserving nature is heroic. To Continue

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