Vertical Line GardenAn Installation by Julia Jamrozik and Coryn Kempster
Vertical Line Garden is a graphic and spatial intervention that combines the formal language of historical garden design with contemporary mass-produced materials. Designed by Julia Jamrozik and Coryn Kempster, this installation reimagines the use of barricade tape to create a fluid space that responds to environmental conditions.
The main material used in Vertical Line Garden is barricade tape, typically used to delineate a perimeter and keep people out of a particular area. However, in this installation, the tape is used to invite visitors into the space and entice them to inhabit it. The juxtaposition of the manufactured barricade tape and the natural environment creates a dialogue between the two.
One of the unique properties of Vertical Line Garden is its transformation with the intensity of light and wind. The installation changes dramatically depending on the weather, creating a kinetic and open space or a calm and closed volume. The movement of the tape generates auditory changes as well, ranging from a quiet stir to a vigorous rustle.
The installation covers an area of 10 x 20 meters and is realized using commercial barrier tape, a wood frame, and a net. Custom-fabricated bent metal and canvas lounge chairs are also incorporated into the design, providing comfort for visitors.
Vertical Line Garden encourages interaction without prescribing its use. While adults can enjoy the custom loungers and moments of repose, youngsters can use the tape as a maze to run through, frolic in, and explore. The garden's canopy of colorful lines adds a playful and graphic element to the space.
Since its inception in 2014, Vertical Line Garden has undergone several iterations, allowing the designers to experiment with color, pattern, density, and spatial parameters. Each year, the installation has been reimagined, transforming from horizontal lines to vertical and from a field to an engulfing, fluid space. The project serves as a spatial laboratory, testing ideas and taking risks.
Vertical Line Garden was awarded the Iron A' Design Award in 2019. This prestigious accolade recognizes the installation as a well-designed, practical, and innovative creation that meets professional and industrial requirements. It integrates industry best practices and competent technical characteristics, contributing to a better world.
Experience the captivating and ever-changing Vertical Line Garden at Grand-Metis, Quebec, Canada, from June to September.
Project Details and Credits
Project Designers: Julia Jamrozik
Image Credits: Image #1: Photographer Coryn Kempster, Vertical Line Garden, 2017.
Image #2: Photographer Coryn Kempster, Vertical Line Garden, 2017.
Image #3: Photographer Coryn Kempster, Vertical Line Garden, 2017.
Image #4: Photographer Coryn Kempster, Vertical Line Garden, 2017.
Video Credits: Martin Bond
Project Team Members: Julia Jamrozik and Coryn Kempster
Installation help from Jamie Reford and Hayley Shepherd and Jardins de Metis staff
Project Name: Vertical Line Garden
Project Client: Julia Jamrozik