IN-PERSON Lisbon Livable Cities. Section B

Abstract

How can public art engage communities with complex issues and hidden systems such as climate change, city infrastructure, and urban watersheds? Ghost Rivers is a 2km-long, multi-site public art installation and walking tour by artist Bruce Willen that visualizes a lost stream buried below the streets of Baltimore. Through a series of installations, wayfinding markers, and writings Ghost Rivers reveals the hidden path of the creek Sumwalt Run, bringing its lost landscapes and histories to the surface. Along the way the project draws connections with Baltimore’s watershed, its social history, and the evolving relationships between natural and human environments. When Baltimore built a new sewer system in the early 1900s, Sumwalt Run was converted into a buried storm drain, vanishing from the landscape and disappearing from memory. The stream now flows hidden and mostly forgotten beneath streets, houses, and factories. During this presentation the artist will discuss the story of buried urban waterways, and how Ghost Rivers is helping visitors to “peel back layers” of the built environment to more deeply experience and think about the past, present, and future of their city landscape. Willen will share behind-the-scenes insights on how this complex, community-led project was realized, along with the challenges in implementing large-scale works with dozens of stakeholders. He will also talk about how the project is sparking new public dialogue around stormwater management, stream daylighting, and the future of Baltimore’s watershed. More info: — ghostrivers.com — https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/l4hwy6f4llriz8x4yx86x/h?rlkey=04pvg5v82frykshgkq6ffczkp&dl=0