The Shadow Garden is a long-term artistic and ecological testing ground located in the Amstelpark in Amsterdam. The former monastery garden of the Belgian Pavilion from the Floriade (1972) has been managed since 2022 by the artists’ collective de Onkruidenier in collaboration with Zone2Source.

After 50 years of human absence, the walled garden has developed into a remarkable microclimate in which plants, animals, fungi, microorganisms, and soil processes have evolved over time. Within this layered environment, we investigate how an urban ecosystem responds to climate change, and how new forms of care and attention can emerge between human and more-than-human life forms.

Within the Shadow Garden, de Onkruidenier develops an artistic research practice they refer to as Future Gardening: a way of working in which gardening does not begin from control, but from observation, attunement, and the cultivation of long-term relationships. The garden is therefore not approached as an object, but as a living environment and co-author.

The sheltered structure of the garden creates space for unexpected ecological collaborations. Heat-loving plants find their place there, while other areas call for restraint and careful attention. In this way, the garden becomes a site where the boundaries between nature, culture, and maintenance are constantly shifting.

The Shadow Garden functions as a workspace, research environment, and public testing ground for new ecological imaginaries. The project invites visitors to question and reshape existing ideas about gardening, ownership, and care in relation to the ecological urgencies of our time.

Visit the Garden
The Shadow Garden can be viewed daily from the veranda and through the windows. In addition, de Onkruidenier can be found working in the garden for several hours each week. In 2026, the regular visiting moment is Friday morning.

Become an Observer
Starting in 2026, de Onkruidenier offers residents of Amsterdam South the opportunity to apply for the role of “observer” of the garden. Interested? Please get in touch and send your motivation to co*****@**********er.nl