Teach-In for Topanga Canyon Soil Landslide Columns by Lauren Bon and Metabolic Studio

18th Street Arts Center is proud to announce a public teach-in on Sunday, February 23, 2025, to explore Topanga Canyon Soil Landslide Columns, a new site-specific permanent public artwork by Lauren Bon and Metabolic Studio. This work invites collective reflection and dialogue on how cities can reconnect with natural systems, particularly the rainwater cycle, to create resilience in the face of environmental and urban challenges.

This teach-in invites participants to engage with the questions posed by the artwork and its materials, delving into its artistic, ecological, and philosophical underpinnings. Attendees will join Lauren Bon and Metabolic Studio in exploring how creative practices can foster dialogue and solutions around water cycles, climate adaptation, and urban resilience.

The two towering landslide columns (each holding the spatial equivalent of a single parking spot) are filled with soil rescued from the Topanga Canyon landslide that occurred in March 2024, closing Topanga Canyon Boulevard after heavy rains. This soil recovery, led by Lauren Bon and Metabolic Studio in collaboration with California State Parks, is part of a broader inquiry into the relationship between urban development, water systems, and ecological restoration.