An exhibition to turn borders into meeting places

Borders are often seen as a divisive factor, but Geneva-based architect and artist Anna Grichting is working to turn them into an ecological zone where people can meet. An exhibition exploring this approach runs from 1 to 17 April at the WRP Foundation in Geneva. The Geneva native has lived close to several borders, whether between Northern Ireland and Ireland or between neighbourhoods of different communities in the United States. In her research, she then worked on the possible changes to borders as ecological sites, whether on the wastelands of the Berlin Wall or in the divided city of Nicosia in Cyprus. Human activity in these areas has often been replaced by military surveillance. "This situation also allows nature to regenerate in some of these areas," points out the architect. From Berlin to Northern Ireland, from Cyprus to the two Koreas, she is working on development plans for these sites and on participatory design with politicians, biologists, ecologists and artists.