The Bobbing Forest – A Smart & Fun Solution For A Greener Rotterdam

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How to increase vegetation in an urban environment full of interesting architecture and water, but where  little space is left for anything else? The Dutch artist Jorge Bakker found the solution with his Bobbing Forest project.

During this project different people and organizations – including the art collective Mothership – collaborated and experimented, to see how a tree could grow and root in a buoy floating in the water. An interesting venture, as the experiments showed that not every tree can survive in such a limited environment. So far only the Dutch Elm seems to be able to survive in such difficult circumstances.

The result of the project – also called ‘Het Dobberend Bos’ in Dutch – can be admired in Rotterdam’s Rijnhaven (Kop van Zuid) since March this year. Here about twenty trees are bobbing in the little harbour. While the trees are still fairly small, we are curious to see how they grow with time!

About The Author: Lydian Brunsting


'To be with Art is all we ask'- Gilbert and George. A quote that has stayed with me since I first saw it a couple of years ago. The word I would add though is 'travel' and that is, in fact, Art Weekenders, our new creation. The Art Weekenders project combines my passions for art, travel and photography, while we - at the same time - like to inspire and hopefully help you to prepare your art getaway. I am also photographer, writer and developer of the photoblog SHOuTography, a project that I started during a year of travelling through South-America to explore my life-long passion for photography.