May 6th, 2020 16:00 CEST Webinar Series 'Eat This' by World Horti Center

World Horti Center and NethWork collaborate in giving a follow up to the exhibition ‘Countryside – The Future’ initiated by the Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas, that was opened on February 20 in the Guggenheim Museum in New York. The exhibition among others features the current and future developments in food production, especially what is happening in greenhouses.

Webinar sessions
The exhibition is currently closed, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the production of cherry tomatoes in a closed, high tech production unit, situated in front of the museum on Fifth Avenue, continues. Right in the center of the world and the epicenter of the pandemic. The unit, therefore, is a great metaphor and catalyst in the discussion on the consumption of healthy food, produced in a sustainable and affordable way. Therefore, World Horti Center (WHC) took the initiative to facilitate, in cooperation with foundation NethWork, a new series of online events.

Thought leaders
During weekly webinar sessions, thought leaders in the field of food will share their vision on (the future of) healthy food. The kick-off takes place on Wednesday 6 May, 16.00 hrs CEST and features architect Rem Koolhaas, initiator of the exhibition ‘Countryside – The Future’. He will be assisted by Clemens Driessen, a philosopher at Wageningen UR. Both gentlemen will share their vision on current developments and the future of horticulture in the Netherlands and beyond. You can register for the first webinar here. 

Eat This
This webinar series, named ‘Eat This’ is a close collaboration between NethWork and World Horti Center. Both organizations want to connect the horticultural sector with the world beyond horticulture. Renee Snijders and Ed Smit of NethWork will present these weekly webinar sessions. After the inaugural session with Rem Koolhaas, 9 webinars will follow. Additional details on guests and themes will follow soon.

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For more information:
World Horti Center Europa 1
2672 ZX  Naaldwijk
Netherlands
+31 (0)174 385 600
info@worldhorticenter.nl
www.worldhorticenter.nl

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NethWork 
www.nethwork.info

Publication date: Wed 29 Apr 202

Tomatoes To Grow In 2020 Guggenheim Exposition

from Picasso to plants: horticulture becomes art

In 2019 there was a fuss about tomato plants growing in the East River in New York. In 2020 tomato plants will be growing at an even more remarkable location: in the New York Guggenheim Museum! In the exposition Countryside, The Future, created in collaboration with Rem Koolhaas, various horticultural solutions will be shown inside and outside the famous museum. 

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© AMO - OMA Rotterdam

February 2020 
"An exhibition addressing urgent environmental, political, and socioeconomic issues", is how The Guggenheim itself describes the new exhibition that will open on February 20, 2020. "Exploring radical changes in the rural, remote and wild territories collectively identified here as 'countryside', or the 98% of the earth’s surface not occupied by cities, with a full rotunda installation premised on original research." 

Resulting from this original research, horticulture is presented as one of the solutions for the future. Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas got in touch with the horticulture sector a couple of years ago and was impressed by the level of technique in the industry and its contribution to global issues like energy, water, food supply, food safety, sustainability and the general well-being of people around the world. That's why he invited the industry to participate in the Guggenheim exhibition. 

"Mainly Dutch entrepreneurs and suppliers show the various solutions they can bring to these developments", says Ed Smit, founder and key connector of NethWork, a new foundation that facilitates all in-kind deliveries of horticultural objects that will visualize how food is produced in a healthy, sustainable and efficient way, in which Joep Hendricks (World Horti Center), Peter Maes (Koppert Biological Systems), Rob Baan (Koppert Cress) & Stephan Petermann (AMO/OMA) also participate. 

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Photo by Pieternel van Velden of the Koppert Cress greenhouse in The Netherlands 2011), selected by Rem Koolhaas

Vertical farming
In the exhibition, there will be numerous objects showing the connection between nature and sustainable, efficiently produced and healthy food. Concretely that means that there will be a transparent vertical farming production unit in front of the Guggenheim museum. Behind a transparent wall, cherry tomatoes are grown under LED lighting. Leading partners Priva/Infinite Acres have united with Rijk Zwaan, Grodan and PL Light - Hortilux to complete this installation and Koppert Biological Systems will take care of the biological crop protection and pollination. "Crop and harvesting activities are provided through a daily program", Ed explains. "We work together with schools in the area. The goal is actively involving young children actively to get them to get to know horticulture." 

In the museum itself, a greenhouse is realized with a rolling bench filled with herbs from Koppert Cress, LED lights from Signify and drones from PATS. Also, the Priva Kompano Deleafing Robot will be present to visualize that the role of man will change through robotization. The mini Airobug from Koppert Biological Systems is present to illustrate that sustainable, healthy and efficient production is possible through knowledge, and links innovation to big data and artificial intelligence. 

Horticulture is art while the show will last until August, it is hoped the effects will remain in place longer. And it's not the first time horticulture is considered art. Earlier this year German aerial photographer Tom Hegen launched his Greenhouse Series, showing illuminated greenhouses in the nighttime. 

For more information:
Ed Smit
Jungle Talks www.jungletalks.com 

NethWork www.nethwork.info 

Publication date: Thu 19 Dec 2019