When we think of land art, we often recall iconic works of the 1960s and 70s—Robert Smithson’s Spiral Jetty or Walter De Maria’s Lightning Field—monumental interventions that reshaped the deserts of the American West. This panel turns our attention to a new generation of land art unfolding not in arid landscapes but in watery terrains. These large-scale projects found in wetlands, ports, and coastal systems are frequently framed in technical or engineering terms, yet they operate as aesthetic works that register at territorial scales. Speakers Chiara Pradel (Delft Technical University), Rob Holmes (Auburn University), and UVA Associate Professor of Landscape Architecture Brian Davis, will examine the stakes, precedents, and representational challenges of these emerging practices. An accompanying exhibition in the East Wing Gallery presents large photographic prints alongside small drawings, offering both expansive and intimate ways of seeing contemporary land art.
Landscape architect Martí Franch, founder of EMF (Gerona, Spain) joined the panel discussion.
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