Internationally recognized artist Mark Dion created the Buffalo Bayou Invasive Plant Eradication Unit to serve as a workstation, laboratory, book mobile and beacon for public outreach in the battle against invasive plant species along the Buffalo Bayou and its tributaries. Commissioned by the Buffalo Bayou Partnership, the customized truck, similar to “a rugged emergency response vehicle” is equipped with various tools, illustrations, field guides and books. Dion’s mobile unit is not only a work of art, but also a working outpost that supports volunteers, encourages participation, educates on the local environment, and establishes a sense of urgency to the issue of invasive plants. Blurring the distinction between the truck’s status as artwork and a functional tool is, Dion has stated, “how an artist today makes a consideration of the landscape.”
Artist: Mark Dion (Instagram/Website)
Location: Buffalo Bayou Park
Date: 2011
Type: Site-Specific Commission
Role: Lead Project Manager at Houston Arts Alliance
Photos courtesy of Buffalo Bayou Partnership