FringeArts Debuts Futuristic Floating Pop-Up Community WetLand

Artist rendering of “WetLand” by Mary Mattingly.

If you thought you had experienced every possible summer pop-up this city has to offer, think again.

A collaboration between FringeArts and Brooklyn-based artist Mary Mattingly is bringing yet another stunning waterfront destination to Philadelphia, except this one is more like a world of its own.

WetLand—a floating art installation and public space designed by Mattingly—is no ordinary park. It has it’s very own ecosystem. Water-based and solar-powered, it’s part visually striking space, part urban farm, complete with a honeybee hive, chicken coop, and gardens growing edible plants. An island-like environment designed with a utopian vision of a sustainable future in mind, WetLand is meant to spark conversation about our environmental changes, as well as the ways we produce energy and use our water.

The communal space will function as a hub for both ecological and artistic exploration, with family-friendly workshops hosted by Fairmount Water Works, as well as artistic gatherings. For six weeks, WetLand will be home to seven rotating artists in residency, beginning with Mattingly.  The artists will live onsite, offering workshops, performances, and tours from August 15th to September 21st, all of which will be free and open to the public.

WetLand is set to open this Friday, August 15th, with an opening reception from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. featuring locally grown food from its own gardens, as well as a wine bar. Admission is free and the event is open to the public.

Approximately 20 seats will be available for events and workshops, offered on a first-come, first-serve basis. A full schedule of upcoming WetLand events can be found here.

WetLand, August 15th­–September 21st, 10:00 a.m.– 5:00 p.m. daily, Independence Seaport Museum Pier, 211 South Columbus Boulevard (at Dock Street).