Brownfield Ikebana: recognising the beauty in urban wastegrounds

Brownfield Ikebana is a series of works by artist Anna Francis which aim to reframe the neglected Brownfield sites in cities, as potential beauty spots, nature reserves and wildlife havens.

As with many post-industrial cities, Stoke-on-Trent has an abundance of gaps in its city centre, where buildings and factories have been taken down, but the money to rebuild and reimagine has not yet arrived. These spaces are often described by local people and the media as problem spaces or eyesores, but are in fact very important in the developing ecology of wildlife in city areas. One Example: In The North Staffordshire Field Club ’s Annual address of 1875, declining numbers of Goldfinches in the county are attributed to industrial and housing development, which saw the decline in natural habitats. Recently, Goldfinch numbers in the city centre have grown, which can be attributed to the abundance of Brownfield Sites, providing new food sources.

Brownfield Ikebana aims to recognise the potential of these spaces, through creating artworks and events which invite a dialogue about the use of these sites, and value to local wildlife, and local people. ‘Brownfield Ikebana’ could be presented as a works instruction, performance and/or public workshop, which utilises the art of Japanese flower arranging, to explore Brownfield Sites, and use discarded rubbish in the place of vessels and vases, and weeds and vegetation growing on the site to create beautiful, formal floral displays.