SYNLawn® and Exhibit Columbus Make a Statement with Art, Architecture, and Community.
Through a series of creative and architectural projects that activate public spaces and engage the community, Exhibit Columbus builds on the city’s Modernist cultural history. The site-specific artworks address a wide range of problems, ranging from issues of identity and physical educational spaces in the context of the pandemic, to inclusive public spaces, habitats, ecosystems, and the architectural legacy of Late Modernism. With the third annual Exhibit Columbus, coordinated by Mimi Zeiger and architect and author Iker Gil, the city stays at the center of the art and architecture fair circuit this year.
With the ambitious subject, New Middles: From Main Street to Megalopolis, What Is the Future of the Middle City? the two have set a new test for the city’s built environment. The curators hope to disrupt the conventional perception of Columbus as a Modernist theme park by placing 23 artworks around the famous structures. They want to know if and how Modernism can withstand the difficulties of the twenty-first century while also serving the public good via representation.
This year’s Exhibit Columbus explores the conditions surrounding middle spaces as interfaces between ecosystems and the built world via the lens of thirteen temporary works that highlight diverse elements of the Mississippi watershed’s nature. In its third year, the festival draws on Columbus’s Modernist cultural legacy via a series of creative and architectural studies that activate public places and engage the local community. On the lawn of First Christian Church, for example, LaWaSo Ground by the architect and Indiana University assistant professor Jei Jeeya Kim serves as an environment for conversation and contemplation.
“Everybody talks about going to Columbus as this, almost, pilgrimage,” Gil says. “But we’re thinking about the narratives and existences that become hidden from this mainstream history including the reality of the people who live and work here.”
It becomes a reflective space to walk, like a maze or mandala,” Zeiger says. “It creates its own kind of sacredness that is not monumental but asks us to think about how limestone was used, and how we bring Indigenous voices into that conversation.”
SYNLawn® artificial grass provides a level of durability for projects such as Exhibit Columbus that can resist heavy foot traffic as well as provide a place to comfortably relax and reconnect in conversation. Our artificial turf provides lifelike behavior and textures that mimic that of traditional sod. Our HeatBlock™ technology works to lower rising surface temperatures by reflecting sunlight, inhibiting heat build-up and emissivity. In addition, HeatBlock™ technology adds a finish with less shine for a more natural look and is less abrasive. This added deluster makes our ultra-realistic appearance a possibility. Super Yarn™, our patented yarn technology, creates a cleaner, safer, and more durable surface than any other of its kind.
We strive to create surroundings that look gorgeous and bring people together through activity, conversation, or relaxation. Together we can create greener and more sustainable environments that help to conserve water, provide minimal maintenance requirements, and save money on lawn care services. With over 50 years of research and development, SYNLawn® has been able to create a plant-based synthetic grass that is suitable for many installations from playground turf, putting green turf, and commercial lawns, to putting greens and rooftop lounge areas. If you are interested in learning more about our exclusive Indiana artificial grass and putting green collection, please contact us today and schedule a free consultation.
