Urban Hydrology created a visually compelling urban journey that reveals some of the investigations in environmental science taking place at nearby Portland State University. A professor there told me that one problem humans have in addressing environmental problems is our limited ability to perceive at different scales. Many important things are simply too small or too large for us to comprehend. I thought it would be valuable to reveal some hidden phenomenon, in particular the beautiful single-celled organisms used to evaluate water quality in urban streams. Twelve oversized diatoms carved in granite are sited in the biofiltration strips unique to the southern portion of the transit mall. Placing them in the water filtration strips adds a supporting layer of content to the landscape. 

The project was presented, among other conferences, at the North American Diatom Symposium, delighting the audience of scientists. With Urban Hydrology, I tried to thread the needle between beauty, abstraction and content to appeal to both academic and casual viewers.

Artist Fernanda D’Agostino
Part of a collection of Regional Arts & Culture Council