GARDEN
A Growing ecological Commons for city wildlife and community
An integral part of our Broedplaats at the Govert Flinckstraat 286 is the development of an ecological sculptural garden that is created in collaboration with INDEBT co-initiator Rein Kooyman; a project in which his practice merges landscape gardening with visual art. This artwork is both a site of research and a social sanctuary: an ecological oasis in the heart of De Pijp, offering a moment of refuge for city dwellers, from artists and creatives to children, elders, and neighbors.
Rein Kooymans practice focusses on natural materials such as stone and moss, transforming these into installations. Here, his focus turns to the classic Dutch concrete paving tile (stoeptegel), an emblem of post-war modernism and functionality. By reshaping this square, concrete unit into flowing, circular movements, Kooyman reimagines something rigid as something organic, open, and alive.
The garden is both enduring and always in flux, shaped by the cycles of the Dutch seasons. Built with organic leftover materials, it forms a living tension between allowing things to grow and intervening, between what is natural and what is constructed. A garden, after all, is not a piece of untouched nature, but a cultivated in-between space where human design and natural growth meet, clash, and sometimes merge.
Garden Rules
This garden has been developed as a living artwork where ecology and visual art come together. It is a place for rest, gathering, observation, and research in the heart of the city. The natural ecosystem evolves with the seasons, making the garden an ever-changing environment of growth, decay, and transformation to be experienced year-round. It contributes to the biodiversity of De Pijp and offers space for plants, insects, animals, and humans to coexist.
Please move through this garden with care and respect. Stay on the paths and do not touch the plants or materials; some species in this garden are toxic. Leave everything as you find it and do not take anything from the garden. Keep the space calm and clean, and be mindful of other visitors and all living beings present. After 22:00, please keep the space quiet to allow both nature and the surrounding neighborhood to rest.
This project has been made possible with the support of AFK, Gemeente Amsterdam, and Waterschap Amstel, Gooi en Vecht, with drinks for the opening generously provided by Heineken.
