Pile 2 patio, mulch/compost sculpture

About

Pile 2 patio is a piece by artist Maru García that explores the materiality and community-building qualities of a mulch/compost pile. For one day only, 18th Street Arts Center’s Airport Campus will have a giant mulch and compost sculpture in the parking lot on Saturday, April 23 from 11 am to 3 pm as part of the exhibition Radical Propagations, on view at 18th Street’s Propeller Gallery. 

This interactive and evolving piece will invite the public to modify the sculpture by taking mulch/compost to their homes. As each person takes their part, the pile will change shape throughout the day. Once planted in each participant’s garden, the organic sculpture will take another form, transforming each garden into an active part of this exhibition and community.

This organic sculpture wants to put Soil physically and conceptually at the center of the conversation. Soil is more than just dirt. It is the foundation for healthy ecosystems and plays an important role in sustaining life. But currently, Soil is eroded every year at a rate 100 times faster than it can naturally be replenished. Exposed and lifeless Soil is caused predominantly by industrial agriculture and poor land management, making it difficult to produce food and creating other problems like biodiversity loss and contamination. Regenerative practices and traditional knowledge want us to relate better with Soil. Pile 2 patio can also be seen as a performance rooted in activism, where the audience is invited to transform themselves into Soil protectors. 

A guest speaker from Sustainable Works will be giving an informative workshop on the importance of healthy Soil and its impact on our environment for this event. The exhibition Radical Propagations will also be on view. 

Plus, artists in residence at 18th Street Arts Center’s Airport campus will host open studios where visitors can see their exciting work in progress. Also, Market Exchange vendors will be on site selling their artisanal goods.

This is an in-person event and masks will be required at all times inside the gallery. Please register in advance.

This exhibition and the research leading up to it is made possible by the Artists At Work program, a collaboration between THE OFFICE performing arts + film and the LA County Department of Arts and Culture; the City of Santa Monica, and 18th Street’s generous community of donors. Maru Garcia is a participating artist in the Artists At Work initiative in Los Angeles County 2021-2022. Many thanks also to the thought partnership of Santa Monica’s Sustainable Works.

For more information on the exhibition: https://18thstreet.org/event/radical-propagations-propagaciones-radicales/