Kari Englehardt

Statement: HORTUS TOXICUS

At the intersection of the built environment and the natural world, post-industrial land use has often degraded sites with the introduction of persistent pollutants. HORTUS TOXICUS is an illustrated study of plants that have been proven to be effective phytoremediators. The term is used for plants that can naturally mitigate, translocate or accumulate dangerous environmental toxins from soil, air and/or water over time. This exhibition draws particular attention to academic research of petroleum-based soil contaminants and the specific corresponding plant remediators. .

The field of phytoremediation is incredibly broad and complex and certainly not applicable to every situation. However, the concept of a plant-based process to prevent the impact of pollution, make it possible to leave an ecosystem in place and mitigate site contamination is deeply needed. .