INTERNATIONAL GARDEN FESTIVAL 2024

In a world where nature often takes a backseat to human development, “You Are Not Invited” challenges garden norms. This project goes beyond a mere display; it is a statement about our place in the natural world, emphasizing the coexistence of humans, flora, and all organisms, while questioning the very essence of a garden.

At its core, the project features a rectangular dinner table supported by gabion cages, a symbolic centerpiece meant for natural succession to take place. The moss bed and vertical vegetation surrounding the table forms a natural barrier and stages the table for human visitors to witness, but not disturb. This stark deviation from expectations prompts a dialogue on the nature of our interventions in natural spaces and the concept of “invitation.”

Through the over-time form iterations, the project showcases the transformation from ‘the constructed’ to ‘the un-constructed’. As implanted seeds and fungi sprout, natural elements gradually consume the original surface. This metamorphosis invites visitors to engage with the ever-changing landscape of the garden and to consider their role in shaping or disassembling it. It poses fundamental questions about what a garden can be and what it should represent, offering an intimate and evolving narrative that encourages us to embrace the complexity of the world around us.

We urge visitor to shift their perspectives of space ownership towards what is set for a garden. The table serves a feast for all the beings in the woods, but not for humans. Visitors’ experience will be exclusive, as different “guests“ at the table and the evolving form of the presentation throughout seasonal changes. The table, however, invites the human to witness the inclusiveness and the diversity of nature.