Made-Land aims to promote discourse around land ownership and the origins of the soil which constitute “our” “land.” Placed on a site where past colonial infrastructure ruptures the grid, this device exposes a landscape of brutality through a history of inequality using adventive flora and earth which came to New York in the form of solid ballast in ships through trade. The device delicately places itself within the bounds of an existing gated community garden, weaving an elevated, light timber walkway through existing trees and growth on the site. The proposal employs earth blocks containing seeds of hundreds of plant species brought to Manhattan from departing ports as vessels to show the intersectionality of transnational commerce and the movement of people. The proposal positions itself to help expose the history of the fabricated landscape which shapes Manhattan. By taking elements of outdoor architectural exhibitions, it expands on thematics through context and situations beyond those afforded by the museum or gallery. In turn, the site provokes an affinity to communities, including recognizing the value in human and non-human encounters.
