Foraging & Gardening in The City 

- an intensive workshop at Aalto University, department of Environmental Art

2.-6.9.2013 Helsinki, Finland
Teacher Joel Rosenberg



The course brought to light a new perspective on Helsinki. Students learned to observe the 
urban environment through a forager's and cyclist's lenses.

During the course we found and tasted foods that grow in the city. We visited the urban gardens of Helsinki, foraged fruits from the parks and mushrooms from the forest. Based on their findings, students created artworks that offer new ways to understand our relationship with the urban environment and how it can be used

This intensive workshop took place mostly out of classrooms. The course included a lecture or two but mostly we cycled around Helsinki visiting interesting sites. We discussed issues of Everyman's rights, self-sufficiency, creative participation and artists relation to these topics. The focus of the course was on daily multi-sensory observation and interaction with the environment.

Day 1. Visits to Aalto City garden, Viikki Arboretum, Herttoniemi allotment gardens and urban gardening center Kääntöpöytä/Turntable

Day 2. Urban foraging ride, tasting Helsinki's urban edibles, apples, plums, sea buckthorns etc. Visit to Kumpula Botanical Garden.

Day 3. Mushrooms and cooking with fire at Nuuksio National Park.

Day 4. Creating the artworks, personal meetings and Annala's harvest fair.

Day 5. Cycling to experience students artworks around the city. Harvest party in the evening at Kääntöpöytä.