Can a living sculpture heal the environmental damage caused by human beings?

American artist Mel Chin (b. 1951) created Revival Field (1991) as a conceptual artwork that materialized in the form of a scientific experiment in phytoremediation. By using a variety of the Thlaspi plant, which is able to absorb heavy metals from the soil, Chin regenerated the substrate of a plot of land close to the Pig’s Eye landfill in St. Paul, Minnesota, that was contaminated with cadmium, zinc, and nickel due to sewage and incinerated waste. Hyperaccumulator plants extract heavy metals by drawing them into their roots and leaves. At the end of the process, incineration allows the metals to be reused.

Mel Chin
Revival Field, 1991-ongoing
Plants, industrial fencing on a hazardous waste landfill
Ongoing project in conjunction with Dr. Rufus Chaney, senior research agronomist, USDA
Courtesy the artist
© Mel Chin, Bilbao 2025