A City Designed by Trees
Commissioned for the 2022 Daejeon Biennale “City Project,” we weave together science, art, and cultural traditions to imagine a city designed by trees.
Tag: city
City as Weeds
We normally think of weeds as enemies. In this exhibition, Kang and Lydon’s “City as Nature” studio suggests that weeds are healers of the land, of people, and of cities. In three multi-sensory sections, the herbalist and artist couple celebrate how a relationship with four … Continue readingCity as Weeds
A City is Part of the Universe
Many of us recognize the need for more ecological lifestyles, but if we live in a city with little or no ‘ecology’ around us, where on earth do we start? This short film brings us into the minds of natural farmers in Japan and the … Continue readingA City is Part of the Universe
Blueprints for The Possible City
How can we transform the city from being an impossible ecological problem, into being the ecological solution? For most of the past decade, imagining how cities might become truly sustainable has taken up a considerable portion of my time. In short, the question I have … Continue readingBlueprints for The Possible City
City as Nature Festival
In 2019, I directed an international arts festival featuring interactive, place-based art, workshops, concerts, walks, talks, and storytelling events. Taking place at multiple locations in Osaka’s “Kitakagaya Creative Village,” the City as Nature Festival aimed at cultivating our awareness of urban environmental landscapes. At the … Continue readingCity as Nature Festival
Wisdom From the Field
This exhibition series features poetic verse and philosophical concepts collected over the course of five years of field research and study on natural farming, conducted in Japan, Korea, Scotland, and the United States. Although regarded positively by environmental experts, the practice of natural farming is … Continue readingWisdom From the Field
Nature of Cities: Artists in Conversation with Water
Co-chair of a panel discussion at The Nature of Cities along with Carmen Bouyer. We invite eleven artists to present their conversation with water in cities. Coming from seven different countries—Czech Republic, France, Mexico, South Africa, Spain, Turkey, and the United States—these artists inspire our own experiences with water in cities. … Continue readingNature of Cities: Artists in Conversation with Water
A Winter Friend, the Sazanka (山茶花)
Flower watching is an event like no other here in Japan. Every spring especially, the country goes crazy for the light pink cherry blossoms that grace so many of its streets, parks, and hillsides; so much so that office workers sometimes get off early once … Continue readingA Winter Friend, the Sazanka (山茶花)
Nature of Cities: Artists in Conversation with Air
Co-chair of a panel discussion at The Nature of Cities along with Carmen Bouyer. We invite seven artists from around the Earth to present their conversations with air in cities. Through their different creative practices, they invite us to encounter the air as the breath that flows through all of us, and unites us in a “common ground.” We hope you enjoy reading and participating in the conversations… … Continue readingNature of Cities: Artists in Conversation with Air
SocieCity
Launched in 2011 by Patrick M. Lydon and Suhee Kanag, SocieCity is an international collective of artists, writers, and other professionals who are working to build long-term social and ecological well-being by inspiring empathic relationships between people and the environment.
The Value Garden isn’t a Bargain Store
I also saw – by merit of my own faults in judgment – how big of a wall we must tear down, and how much humility we must have in order for the human race to see “value” correctly again, to see “value” with truth in it… … Continue readingThe Value Garden isn’t a Bargain Store
Nature of Cities | Artists, Vagabonds, and an Accidental Nature Reserve in San Francisco Bay
A review written for The Nature of Cities of Refuge in Refuse: Homesteading Art and Culture, an exhibition curated by Robin Lasser, Danielle Siembieda, and Barbara Boissevain at SOMArts, San Francisco, USA. … Continue readingNature of Cities | Artists, Vagabonds, and an Accidental Nature Reserve in San Francisco Bay
Nature of Cities | Art and Urban Green Spaces
I took part in this global panel discussion on how can art (in all its forms), exhibits, installations and provocations be a better catalyst to raise awareness, support and momentum for urban nature and green spaces. … Continue readingNature of Cities | Art and Urban Green Spaces
In Dae-dong, ‘Poor’ Neighborhood, High Quality of Life
If you want to know how someone can live in a monetarily ‘poor’ urban neighborhood and have a good quality of life, there are undoubtedly some answers to be found here. … Continue readingIn Dae-dong, ‘Poor’ Neighborhood, High Quality of Life
Image and Word: Woman, Child, City
There is a mom down the hill who dutifully takes her child outside every few hours during the day. On the rooftop of their apartment building they go, the baby fastened to her back with a cloth wrapped around her waist. … Continue readingImage and Word: Woman, Child, City
NightLight
This ongoing series explores the streets of major cities throughout the world while the streets are completely devoid of human life. … Continue readingNightLight
Final Straw Event in Seoul
Tonight in Seoul we’re teaming up with Space Noah and Korean natural farmer, Ryosok Hong (홍려석) to produce a ‘lecture concert.’ Hmm, ‘lecture concert’ might need some explanation, it was a strange phrase to me when I first heard it used. As lecture events tend … Continue readingFinal Straw Event in Seoul
Snow for the Mind
When you pass the slumbering homeless men, wet boots standing guard outside cardboard sleeping accommodations, you’ve reached the end of the Gwanghamun underground. From here, it’s out into the snow. … Continue readingSnow for the Mind
Nature and Urban in Seoul
With miles of concrete, asphalt, people, and cars in any given direction, Seoul can be a pretty overwhelming place at times. Given that that we are working on a documentary so deeply connected with nature, it’s nice to get out of the ‘office’ in the … Continue readingNature and Urban in Seoul
SocieCity | The Art, the Individual, the City
Certainly one of the few tasks of importance which must only be entrusted to the command of a single person, is that of art. Yet art it is not primarily mechanical or utilitarian in nature. … Continue readingSocieCity | The Art, the Individual, the City
Fancy Breakfast from a Rooftop Garden?
We visited the “Blues Guesthouse” in the Segeomjeong neighborhood of Seoul a few days back after hearing about a rooftop vegetable garden they are starting. It’s very early spring here, so the plants are just starting to come up, but it was nice to have … Continue readingFancy Breakfast from a Rooftop Garden?
Lights Out
A very dry and windy night last night, leaves all over the place, a few tree branches, enough to take out the power for the night. Which of course, always provides a nice opportunity for night photos! I took out the Mamiyaflex for this one.
A Right Honorable Chat
Titles of public officials in other countries seem funny to me, “Right Honorable Lord Mayor” for instance. But maybe adding ‘right honorable’ to a title makes politicians behave a little better: if it’s in your title, you must uphold it! Anyway, I have a chat … Continue readingA Right Honorable Chat
Urban Frames
ABOUT THE SERIES Observing everyday details of the city through frames given by urban structures.
Cityscape
Even when working on other projects, Patrick has often been known to stop what he’s doing, get up, and take a several-hours-walk around the city. These are just a few images (of thousands) featuring cityscapes from around the world. … Continue readingCityscape