The New Earth Arts
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The New Earth Arts
Benjamin C. Howland Memorial Panel
Mon, Mar 30, 5pm
Campbell 153
Exhibition
Mon, Mar 9-Mon, Mar 30
Campbell East Wing Gallery
When we think of land art, we often recall iconic works of the 1960s and 70s—Robert Smithson’s Spiral Jetty or Walter De Maria’s Lightning Field—monumental interventions that reshaped the deserts of the American West. This panel turns our attention to a new generation of land art unfolding not in arid landscapes but in watery terrains. These large-scale projects found in wetlands, ports, and coastal systems are frequently framed in technical or engineering terms, yet they operate as aesthetic works that register at territorial scales. Speakers Chiara Pradel (Delft Technical University), Rob Holmes (Auburn University), and UVA Associate Professor of Landscape Architecture Brian Davis, will examine the stakes, precedents, and representational challenges of these emerging practices. An accompanying exhibition in the East Wing Gallery presents large photographic prints alongside small drawings, offering both expansive and intimate ways of seeing contemporary land art.
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Panelists:
Rob Holmes is an associate professor and the undergraduate chair of landscape architecture in the School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture at Auburn University. His research and creative work is primarily concerned with infrastructure design, urbanization, and landscape change. He is a cofounder of the Dredge Research Collaborative, an independent nonprofit organization which aims to improve the design and management of sediment through publications, the DredgeFest event series, and design research.
Chiara Pradel, PhD, is a landscape architect and researcher. She graduated in architecture from IUAV in Venice and received a postgraduate master’s degree in architecture of the Territory from AAM Mendrisio. From 2007 to 2020 she practiced in Switzerland and collaborated with landscape arch. Paolo L. Bürgi. In 2022 she was awarded her PhD with honors from Politecnico di Milano. Her research ‘Monumental Ground’, which was exhibited at the 10th International Architecture Biennale Rotterdam and at the 19thBiennale di Venezia, explores ground movements originated by construction activities. Currently, as part of the Situated Architecture research group at TU Delft Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment, she is investigating ‘Material Gardens’ as public spaces of material storage and collection in urban contexts and landscape.
Brian Davis, PLA, FAAR, is an associate professor in the Landscape Architecture Department at the University of Virginia and co-director of the Natural Infrastructure Lab. His research and practice focus on coastal landscapes, infrastructure, and public space in the context of sea level rise. He has collaborated with partners including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the National Park Service, and previously co-led the Healthy Port Futures project, advancing innovative natural infrastructure strategies. He is a registered landscape architect and founding principal of Proof Projects.
Supported by the Benjamin C. Howland Memorial Endowment.
