The Living Man by Caracara and Mandin is a living piece of architecture, a portrait and an urban garden. The 3.5 metre high human face consists of geometric panels made of orange peel, mycelium and plywood, laid over a framework made of reclaimed wood. The ‘hair’ and interior of the figure host an urban garden with fresh produce such as purple basil, beetroot, tomato, zucchini, Moroccan mint and marigold. These plants were grown for us by Ahlberg garden, and many of them were placed in up-cycled yogurt boxes with fabric covers sewn by Korin Lim.

The work highlights the harmonious connection between man, nature and the built environment that we need in order for our planet to thrive. When we see ourselves as part of a large sensitive system and see nature as our home, our family and our teacher, we gain a more holistic view of our lifestyles and can act towards positive environmental change.

The installation was featured at World Village Festival 2019 in Helsinki and Solstice Festival 2019 in Northern Finland. Thank you Tania Malréchauffé, Nuorten Ääni and Vera Illini for the pictures! Read more about the project here.