Alicja Patanowska presents Plantation, an installation of 200 hand-made porcelain vessels displayed on a purpose-built unit, where visitors can observe individual plant growth through the process of hydroponic planting, as a live artwork over the exhibition duration.
The project was conceived ten years ago when the artist was studying at the Royal College of Art (RCA) in London. She was struck by the vast number of discarded glasses on the streets outside bars and pubs and felt compelled to upcycle these materials into something aesthetic and desirable.
This is the first artist installation in the new Urban Farmer Project in the heart of the City of London. Patanowska’s work is born from her interest in the concepts of waste and luxury, and a desire to spread a deeper interest in caring for plants and the environment. PLANTATION is a series of hand-made porcelain elements designed for growing plants, herbs and vegetables using hydroponics, combined with repurposed drink glasses.
The Urban Farmer Project is an initiative delivered in partnership with Landsec and London’s Community Kitchen, with support from Square Mile Farms. It follows London’s Community Kitchen’s model of using waste food to not only feed people, but as a tool to develop skills in the community.
It was proposed by Fleet Street Quarter in line with the partners’ ambitions to create an inclusive, innovative, and sustainable area. It is an example of Landsec’s forward-thinking approach to vacant retail space, repurposing an empty unit into space with meanwhile use for the wider community.
It is located at the former bar within Landsec’s Hill House development, just north of Fleet Street, creating a marketplace, education hub and events space designed to address food poverty, widen access to sustainable farm produce and promote British agriculture.
This new installation is co-produced with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland, the Polish Cultural Institute in London, Let’s Art Foundation, and On&On Designs as part of preparations for the 2025 UK/Poland Culture and Creative Season organised in collaboration with the British Council.
Alicja Patanowska | Plantation | Photo credit Alka Murat
Patanowska has a long-held interest in gardening, but did not have her own outdoor space in London. With a background in pottery, she combined the glasses with porcelain to create the hydroponic planters, as a substitute for a garden. Working with a variety of glass shapes, from pint glasses to champagne flutes, through experimentation she designed four planter shapes which fit every type of glass and allow plants to thrive.
She has previously presented PLANTATION at institutions including the Museum of the Future, Dubai (2023), the National Museum in Krakow, Poland (2018 & 2022), and the Museu de Arte Moderna, Rio de Janeiro (2016). Aside from the four shapes already in production, 50% of the planters on display this winter will be new shapes, unique to the London installation.
Alicja Patanowska, artist – “I am delighted that PLANTATION will form part of the Urban Farmer Project. Creating a more eco-conscious community, expanding green spaces in the city, and sharing knowledge about the vital role of caring for nature in achieving a balanced life are essential as we face the climate crisis.”
Lucy French, CEO of Fleet Street Quarter BID – It is fantastic to be working with the Polish Cultural Institute, based in the heart of the Fleet Street Quarter and On&On Designs, to bring Alicja Patanowska’s remarkable installation to our community. PLANTATION exemplifies the ambition of the Urban Farmer Project, fusing sustainability, education and creativity and affirming our FSQ vision of creating a climate resilient district for all to enjoy. We are delighted to be developing our cultural connections with Poland.”
Oliver Hunt, Development Director, Landsec – “PLANTATION is an important addition to the Urban Farmer Project, bringing art into the Fleet Street Quarter and City of London. The wider Urban Farmer Project will transform Hill House into an exciting meanwhile use that drives social value in the area by addressing food waste.”
About the artist
Patanowska is a visual artist, designer, potter and doctor of arts based in Poznań, Poland. Knowledge acquired in direct contact with material is crucial for her artistic practice. Her response to the escalation of consumption chaos is to consider the non-anthropocentric perspective in man’s relationship with the world. She is interested in plants and barter exchange.
She graduated from the Royal College of Art (RCA) in London. She is the recipient of awards including Audience Awards of the 18th Survival Art Review (2021), Mazda Design Award (2018), and British Glass Biennale (2015). Her works are included in art and design collections at institutions including The National Museum in Krakow, The Hotel Europejski Art Collection, and The Shanghai Museum of Glass. Her products are available in museum shops globally, including MoMA, Deutsche Bank Kunsthalle, Barbican Centre and TATE Modern. She has participated in solo and group exhibitions around the world, spanning the United Kingdom, Denmark, Ireland, Korea, Germany, Azerbaijan, Sweden, Finland, China, and Brazil. www.patanowska.com | @alicjapatanowska
Let’s Art Foundation
Let’s Art Foundation mission is to enhance the skills of those involved in the artistic, cultural, and business sectors, creating a space for learning, growth, and inspiration. By supporting artists, the foundation simultaneously cares for the development of local communities, building bridges between art and everyday life. The foundation also supports international exhibitions, such as showcasing the work of Oskar Zięta at the London Design Festival. https://designingtomorrow.pl | @lets_art_fund
On&On Designs
On&On Designs connects European creative talents with the UK cultural, retail, and interior architecture sectors, fostering a dialogue on the transformative power of creativity. Using exhibitions and events, they strategically bring design and commerce together to drive meaningful change. Their portfolio includes collaborations with artists such as Alicja Patanowska, which began after her graduation from the RCA.www.onandondesigns.com | @onandondesigns
Polish Cultural Institute in London
The Institute focus lies in promoting Polish culture and heritage to the British audiences, as well as developing collaborations and building bridges between key cultural or academic institutions in Poland and the UK. Through nurturing these relationships, providing access to essential cultural resources and supporting through funding, PCI London can successfully showcase the best of Polish art, film, theatre, music, literature, science, and heritage to culturally diverse residents of the UK. www.instytutpolski.pl | @polish_culture
The Urban Farmer Project
The Urban Farmer Project submission was validated by the City of London on the 12th February under the reference 24/00094/FULL.
Hill House is subject to redevelopment proposals, noting Landsec submitted a planning application in October 2023 under the reference 23/01102/FULMAJ.
Located just north of Fleet Street, Hill House – an existing office building – would be redeveloped into a state-of-the-art flexible office space, designed to meet the needs of both larger occupiers and smaller businesses.
Plans include:
- A new rooftop restaurant and cultural events space, both with stunning views of the capital.
- A new and improved Shoe Lane Library.
- An enhanced Gunpowder Square
- A sustainable approach to design, with nearly 60 per cent of the existing building structures retained and re-used.
Landsec own and manage a number of destinations in the City of London, playing an important role in knitting together commerce and culture. Landsec’s investment in the long-term sustainability of the City includes New Street Square and One New Change.
London’s Community Kitchen
Since being founded back in 2014, London’s Community Kitchen has become an important part of the communities in and across suburban London. Our ethos of Zero Waste & Zero Hunger is the blueprint to our entire operations, we believe it to be an absolute human right to have access to free or affordable food for the most vulnerable communities across London. (Website)
Fleet Street Quarter BID
In February 2022, local businesses voted overwhelmingly in favour of establishing the Fleet Street Quarter Business Improvement District (BID). This favourable outcome demonstrated a strong mandate amongst businesses to work more collectively in leading, shaping and influencing a comprehensive programme of activity – positioning the Fleet Street Quarter as a thriving and vibrant destination. (Website)
Landsec
At Landsec, we build and invest in buildings, spaces and partnerships to create sustainable places, connect communities and realise potential. We are one of the largest real estate companies in Europe, with a portfolio of retail, leisure, workspace and residential hubs. Landsec is shaping a better future by leading our industry on environmental and social sustainability while delivering value for our shareholders, great experiences for our guests and positive change for our communities. (Website)
Square Mile Farms
Square Mile Farms is on a mission to transform the built environment and reconnect people with their most basic need: food. They bring growing fresh, healthy and sustainable produce back into the heart of where people live and work, and their farms also provide a platform to create community engagement, exchange recipes and pass on tips and tricks to live more healthily and sustainably. Square Mile Farms operates a growing network of almost 100 experiential farms across the UK in partnership with some of the world’s largest landlords, building managers and corporates. Square Mile Farms has been awarded the ESGmark® certification. The award of the ESGmark® certification only occurs after passing a rigorous analysis of an organisation’s Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) credentials. The award is an important recognition of the objectives, intentions and actions taken by a company, its management and other team members. Attainment of the certification is an important way for organisations to Website | LinkedIn: @Square Mile Farms | Instagram: @squaremilefarms