Green (un)seen

Project description

Green (un)seen is a global participatory science-art project for Fascination of Plants Day – 18 May 2026. It invites people to notice the plant life they usually overlook in everyday spaces.

Participants prepare 5-10 (or more) small letters, each turned into a small creative piece through simple drawn, sketched, painted, or collaged plant motifs and/or a small original handmade artwork, and hand one to each person:

• somebody they know (a friend, a family member, etc)

• somebody they already know from the places they pass through every day (a librarian, a barista, a florist, a baker, a teacher, a bookseller, a market seller, a work colleague, etc)

• or a passer-by they notice in the public space

or leave them in public spaces such as libraries, bus stops, coffee places and train stations.

Response mechanism 

Each letter contains a short message and a reflective question about the plants quietly present in everyday life, and a QR code or link inviting a direct response of the person that received the letter - short answer to the question, reflection, or even a photo of the letter in the comments under the post on this page: www.artnow.global/post/green-un-seen

Additional social sharing on own profiles is welcome using #GreenUnSeen.

Time window

The action begins on 18 May 2026, but the letters may continue to circulate beyond that date, allowing more people to engage.

Purpose and Impact

The aim is to draw attention to the often underappreciated role plants play in our lives and in our shared future. They offer us oxygen, food, medicines, shade, materials, climate balance, and beauty. In turn, the project invites us to give something back: a moment of attention, appreciation, and care for the green living world around us.

The letters are distributed by Green (un)seen participants in various cities around the world. By connecting many local actions across different places, the project becomes a shared international artwork about the unseen life that supports us every day. The global reach also carries an empowering sense of togetherness: the feeling of being part of a larger collective act of attention, reflection, and care.

Why join?

Green (un)seen invites participants to experience their place differently: to slow down, notice what is usually overlooked, and share that attention with others. It is an opportunity to create meaningful encounters, express participants’ creativity, and be part of a worldwide campaign that celebrates the plant life we depend on and helps preserve it through the small daily actions of each of us. Each participation will also help represent particular cities on the project’s world map and become part of the evolving story of the project.

About the project

Green (un)seen is a self-initiated pilot project developed through voluntary collaboration and shared curiosity. This first edition will help the initiators test formats, learn what works best in different places, and shape future versions of the project.

Our role as coordinators

As initiators of Green (un)seen, we provide the concept, visual identity, participation guide, and shared communication platform. We connect participants, support local actions, collect documentation, and publish outcomes from the 2026 edition.

We will also create a visual map of participating places and archive the project as an evolving SciArt initiative, offering recognition to everyone involved and making visible the shared care for plant life expressed across different cities and countries.

How to participate

Thank you for taking part in Green (un)seen. This project exists through the thoughtful actions of many people in different places. Your local intervention is what gives this collective initiative its meaning, diversity, and presence in the world. Below you’ll find a few guidelines to help you prepare your letters and artworks, while leaving space for your own creativity and the local spirit you bring to the project.

1. Please sign up to participate using this form. 

2. Prepare 5–10 envelopes, depending on your capacity, or more if you wish. Recommended size: A7 or similar.

3. Write or print the same number of letters as envelopes, in your own language, each including one question. Note: we will send all signed-up participants the letter text, a QR code and a few suggested questions.

4. Decorate the letters and envelopes with plant motifs in your chosen style (sketch, drawing, painting, etc) and/or include a small piece of your own handmade art that captures the spirit of your intervention - this could be a dried flower, a hand-painted stone, a small collage, etc. It’s up to your creativity. If you use any plant elements, please do so with the utmost respect.

5. Hand the letters to people you know and/or to passers-by on 18 May 2026 or leave in public spaces such as libraries, bus stops, coffee places and train stations.

6. You are welcome to document your action with a few photos and share it with the project team by email at green.unseen2026@gmail.com.

7. You are welcome to share your experience of taking part in Green (un)seen on social media with the hashtag #GreenUnSeen.

8. Feel invited to answer the question yourself and engage with our interactive link: www.artnow.global/post/green-un-seen

IMPORTANT CREATIVE AND LEGAL NOTE:

The type of artwork and the location in which the letter is placed, must not disrupt public order or harm anyone, and each contributor is solely responsible for their own actions. If a participant chooses to hand the letters to people in person, it should be done with courtesy and respect. Each participant is fully responsible for their own actions. All interventions should be carried out with care and aesthetic attention, so that they feel inviting and encourage engagement. By taking part in the project, each contributor agrees to these conditions.

About Fascination of Plants Day (18 May)

Launched in 2012, Fascination of Plants Day is an international celebration of plants, coordinated by the European Plant Science Organisation (EPSO) together with National Coordinators around the world. It brings together people of all ages through plant-related events organised by universities, botanical gardens, museums, schools, scientific institutions, farmers, and companies worldwide. The programme includes workshops, exhibitions, and public activities on topics such as plant science, agriculture, biodiversity, sustainability, climate change, food, and art.Individuals and organisations who would like to take part can contact their National Coordinators, who help list and promote events in each country. Read more on the official website: https://plantday18may.org/

Join us on 18 May 2026 and let small green gestures travel through your place.