John Notten

In the spirit of a circular economy, a system that strives to eliminate waste and promote the continual use of resources, this winner of the King Street Temporary Parklet Design/Build Competition welcomes the viewer to participate in a living work of art.  Installed at King St. and Jarvis St. in Toronto, virtually every component has had a previous life just as every part will live on elsewhere in the community.  The lumber comes from a 150-year-old Distillery Building and the plywood from an old factory. Shovels mounted overhead include a solar-powered lighting unit for a glowing night-time experience.  And the plants growing within Plant it Forward, tended and harvested by the local community, will continue to thrive long after this installation is gone.  Each of the seven units that make up Plant it Forward are to be given to local community groups and schools so that they will have a complete kit to continue their own gardens.