Wild Lots uses urban data to encourage speculative thinking about the lifecycles of cities, imagining how vacant space might be returned to nature through processes of rewilding. The project consists of a garden bed formed in the shape of NYC’s boroughs, outfitted with a customized mechanism that can deposit seeds in precise locations on the soil-based map. Via a mobile app, viewers specify a location in NYC. The Wild Lots software queries land use data to locate the nearest vacant lot to the provided address. The mechanism is then activated, depositing seeds in the location of that vacant lot. Over the course of the exhibition, the growth of the garden reflects the speculative rewilding of vacant lots throughout the city. Wildflower seeds are provided to participants to continue the process outside the gallery.

Created in collaboration with Alissa Kushner.