ArtPrize is the world’s largest art contest decided by public vote. Each fall in Grand Rapids, Michigan, artists from around the world showcase their work for a chance to win a $200,000 prize decided by hundreds of thousands of voters.

This year, LiveWall president Dave MacKenzie will enter his own piece of living art titled Back to Eden. Dave’s piece challenges the viewer to ask “What if we could reimagine our cities, and shift sustainability from the exception to the norm?” Back to Eden shows what is possible when living architecture is applied on a larger scale.

No longer do cities need to be wrapped in drab expanses of concrete. They can now be decorated in vivid color using plants as paint. Dave uses the LiveWall system as a canvas and 2,500 plants to create a stunning abstract piece.

Back to Eden is intended to show how using living architecture can benefit the city and those that live in it. The LiveWall system used in this exhibit can sequester carbon, purify air, reduce energy consumption, and provide food for people and wildlife. It does all of this while transforming a building into a canvas for artistic expression.

What:  Back to Eden
11′ x 130′ (1430 sq ft) living mural
When:  September 18 – October 6, 2013
Where:  The B.O.B. (Big old Building)
20 Monroe Ave NW
Grand Rapids, MI
Vote:  Use voting code 54712 – How to Vote
Who’s talking about it:
•  Grand Rapids Tonight (watch video)
•  Greenroofs.com
•  MLive.com
•  WZZM
•  Living Architecture Monitor

Sign Up for a Free Guided Tour of LiveWall’s Best Living Walls

For those of you in the Chicago area, we are offering a guided tour of the best living walls in the area from Illinois to ArtPrize.  This tour will include stops at the Harris Bank in Chicago, The Downtown Market and ArtPrize in Grand Rapids and artist, Dave MacKenzie’s own personal LiveWall along with a behind the scenes look at the LiveWall facility.

This tour provides an excellent opportunity to see first hand how versatile the LiveWall system is and to experience the electric atmosphere of ArtPrize.  The tour will include transportation to and from the venues along with lunch and dinner. To reserve your spot, contact Steve Neumann at (847) 863-5012 or steve@livewall.com.