About

Silvia Benedito + Pierre Bélanger Mare Liberum invites Harvard University Graduate School of Design faculty to contribute informal talks and interviews about landscape, water, waterways, and more as part of the collective’s exhibition and residency, or, The Other Island. Tue, Sep 8, 12 pm Silvia Benedito Sílvia Benedito is an Assistant Professor of Landscape Architecture at the Harvard Graduate School of Design. She teaches graduate core design studios in landscape architecture and urbanism, as well as advanced research seminars. She also serves as Co-Chair of the Sensory Media Platform at the GSD. Benedito's research and practice are focused on the role of atmosphere—the meteorological envelope and space for sensory acquisition—in the built environment. Interested in the production and reception of atmosphere, Benedito’s research simultaneously examines the making of micro-climates for human comfort, and the representation of atmosphere through time-based media such as film and video. In her methods for landscape architecture and urbanism the concept and space of atmosphere claim the body in multiple scopes and scales—from large ecological networks to smaller open space interventions, from large urban plans to immersive installations. Claiming that landscape is as much about air and atmosphere as it is about land and water offers a stimulating dimension to these disciplines, reconciling ecological imperatives with human delight and well-being. Thu, Sep 10, 12 pm Pierre Bélanger
 Pierre Bélanger is Associate Professor of Landscape Architecture and Co-Director of the MDes Postgraduate Design Research Program at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design. Cross-appointed with the Department of Landscape Architecture and the Advanced Studies Program, Bélanger teaches and coordinates graduate courses on the convergence of ecology, infrastructure, media and urbanism in the interrelated fields of design, communications, planning and engineering. In response to the inertia of urban planning and the overexertion of civil engineering in public works today, Bélanger’s contribution to the field of “landscape infrastructure” has been shared and developed in collaboration with governments, professionals and academics worldwide. Vis-à-vis the complexities, magnitudes and indeterminacies of urban change, Bélanger’s core commitment lies in the agency of landscape architecture to redefine the morphology of urban infrastructure in research, pedagogy and practice.

Mare Liberum and Max Liboiron Plastics have been found in every ocean in the world. Over 90% of these plastics are smaller than a grain of rice and are dispersed unevenly throughout the water column, making them difficult to see. Moreover, several recent studies have found that massive amounts of microplastics are somehow missing from the surface of oceans. Perhaps they have sunk, been eaten by animals, or have broken down into fragments so minuscule they are not counted in samples. The difficulties of counting and accounting for ocean plastics has lead to scientific and policy controversies about the severity of the problem and what might be done to mitigate it. Given the difficulties making ocean plastics manifest, scientists and activists are using different techniques to make plastic pollution visible and “charismatic” enough for action. Mare Liberum invites scholar, activist, and artist Max Liboiron as part of their exhibition and residency, or, The Other Island. Liboiron provides an overview of the science of marine plastics and shows some of the citizen-science tools Civic Laboratory that have developed to make plastics apparent and charismatic in the extreme environments of Newfoundland, Canada.

Mare Liberum launches the freshly made punts, or work boats, on the local the Mystic River. The Mystic River, flowing north of Cambridge from the Mystic Lakes to Boston Harbor, is historically a tidal river. Its name most likely originates from the Massachusetts and Pawtucket term “Missi-tuk,” meaning “great tidal river.” In 1966 the Amelia Earhart dam blocked the tide, however, and now the Mystic is freshwater for most of its roughly six-and-a-half mile length. Its shores are heavy with industry, including energy generating stations, chemical plants, fuel tanks, and factories. The voyage takes participants from the Lower Mystic Lake the full length of the Mystic into the Chelsea River. This day-long journey is a form of participatory research into the river and anthropogenic changes to its ecology. Throughout the paddle the public hears from local river and water rights experts, perform water testing with citizen science developers, participate in a performative record of the river’s salt marsh habitat past the dam, and meet community groups operating on the banks of the Mystic and Chelsea rivers. Advocates, organizers, technologists, and artists who meet participants on the shores of the river and share their expertise include: The Mystic River Watershed Association (MyRWA) was founded in 1972 and has largely functioned through the efforts of professional staff and community volunteers working together on a project-by-project basis. The organization’s mission is to protect and restore the Mystic River, its tributaries and watershed lands for the benefit of present and future generations and to celebrate the value, importance and great beauty of these natural resources which play a vital role in the many cities and towns the watershed includes. Clean Water Action is a one million member organization of diverse people and groups joined together to protect our environment, health, economic well-being and community quality of life. Their goals include clean, safe and affordable water; prevention of health threatening pollution; creation of environmentally safe jobs and businesses; and empowerment of people to make democracy work. Public Laboratory for Open Technology and Science (Public Lab) is a community which develops and applies open-source tools to environmental exploration and investigation. The Public Lab program focuses on “civic science” with a concentration on underserved communities, in which the organization researches open source hardware and software tools and methods to generate knowledge and share data about community environmental health. Plotform is a collective formed by Jane D. Marsching and Andi Sutton. It aims to create projects that activate engagement with local ecologies. Marsh Radio Island examines the interconnectedness of species in the port city of Boston. The Chelsea Collaborative Inc. is a community-based agency whose mission is to empower Chelsea residents and Chelsea organizations to enhance the social, environmental, and economic health of the community and its residents. The Collaborative carries out its mission through community organizing, technical assistance, program development, and information dissemination.