USA Projects

Inspired by the devastation and personal loss caused by Hurricane Katrina, Jeff Schmuki embraces the "Do It Yourself" philosophy and utilizes off-grid/renewable power technologies. Schmuki's plant-based works lack soil and are fashioned to mutate in response to unexpected situations and ever-changing environments underscoring the nomadic life he has been forced to experience. Horticultural installations, interventions, and performance foster discussion and generate community action in the area of ecological awareness. Whimsically functional yet serious hydroponic plant growth systems, mobile garden machines, botanic "enhancements", and "portable fields' address current environmental stresses, food shortages, and wasteful practices by linking public space to a diverse array of creative operations and tactics. "Realizing my work is directly linked to the community, I design projects to include members of each area I visit…" Jeff's process speaks to the profound need for an alternative yet collaborative means of addressing the pressing social and environmental issues that are specific to the urban environment. Although the consequences of inefficient and excessive consumption are now being realized worldwide, He believes the regenerative combination of art and horticulture can foster discussions that promote a more accountable use of our limited natural resources.