4 TREES PROJECT
The Coronavirus pandemic led to an explosion of new words but also brought forward into the spotlight some that we hardly hear. For me it was definitely "Togetherness" that marked that period.
Togetherness - The pleasant feeling of being united with other people in friendship and understanding (Cambridge Dictionary). Having spend all my lockdown by myself, I would not qualify this as being pleasant. Still we were working together to stop a bug. There are probably many ways of being together by being not together.
Four states of togetherness will be put forward in the shape of a tree. The trees will be composed of plastic elements mostly and each will reflect on a way we humans were together united.
Open air installation in South London, Carroun Road, SW8.
TREE ONE OF FOUR
Hicservicus Tree or The “Here to Serve” Tree
This tree is growing in honour of the global scientific community. It is still growing and will continue growing throughout this summer. Green and Yellow for the moment but also orange and red soon to signify that no matter what level of risks and challenges the global scientific community is faced with, they are here, We are here to serve Humanity.
Science is more than just theories or numbers… it is a way of life. With Science we can live better and smarter, if we chose to use it as such. Science is here to serve the common good, responsibly and sustainably and to remind those that are not. This tree is a beacon of hope, courage and thirst for life. This tree is for, and is, the global scientific community shinning and serving our way of life. Here to serve.
material used for the crown: tip racks used by heart and lung scientists at University College London (UCL). UCL Respiratory is a laboratory involved in COVID-19 research as well as lung cancer and other respiratory illnesses.
Tronc: ironing board legs, pallet wood and white buckets from the Kennington Park Café.
And much later...
TREE TWO OF FOUR
Cells on a stick - The Communities Tree
We all belong to a community,
A tribe or a club.
Communities begin small,
Some begin bigger.
Some communities are formed over a long time.
Some others are just forming.
Most communities are however in constant flux
Members come and go.
My community is Vauxhall-Oval.
I came by boat to these shores.
You may have too.
Some others may have come by air.
Now they also come from under the ground.
But together we ARE the community of Vauxhall-Oval.
Whether we feel we belong or not.
A very long time ago,
In a different story,
You may not remember
But our bodies do.
A small community came together
A cell was born.
And out of the waters
We came to shore.
Like WE came together,
Cells gathered to form more and more complex organisms.
Diversity was key to this success.
Diverse are also the communities around the world.
This is what it means to be human.
Diversity is part of us. It is us.
We are actually more microbe than human
So the scientists say.
Never forget.
The community spirit starts with us
In us.
For a long time,
I did not know my neighbours,
My community.
Work took that away from me.
But I made some changes.
I joined tribes;
The community choir,
Friends of Kennington park,
My local church
And Parkrun.
People fail to get along because they fear each other; they fear each other because they don’t know each other; they don’t know each other because they have not communicated with each other.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Now, I know some neighbours
And they know me.
When I walk in the street
We say hello
We talk.
It is good to be
Where neighbours know your name.
I feel that I belong
At last.
I feel home.
Cheers.
This installation is entitled: "Cells on a stick"
A big thank you to the Kennington Park Café for providing me with the white material on this structure.
The branch comes from the Kennington Park. It was taken down during one of those big storms we had lately.
All other plastics comes from many other sources, mostly from lunch-ers in our local parks (Vauxhall and Kennington Park).
And mostly thank you to all the locals for not asking too many questions when am out and about with my tree or other strange things.
But let's get back to the garden...
But the story didn't end there... more came to join the communities. And they brough new energies with them...
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At night they luminescence in the distance...
When big groups arrive together in a community, integration can become a slow process as the new arrivals stick together. Ghettos start to form in cities and and instead of integration, segregation takes place.
But when communities work together in a sharing dialogue and learn about each other, bridges can be build.
We are in need of as much time together as apart because we are as similar as different and there is nothing more inspiring than a community putting their differences aside and working together to achieve a common goal.
Working together... can be a pretty sight
And an active community invites participation and interest
Kids always seem to struggle when away from school and at home. I'll say, start to collect some plastics and get creative.
But always be safe. A perfect project to organise with your teachers for the summer.
This installation has been accused of being too white. As I said it is easy to choose one's focus on what is different around us and blame those differences for our failures but mostly don't see what truly matters.
White is the only colour that bounces back all photons from the sun. White is needed to stop our earth to overheat. The artic ice sheets have done a pretty good job at this until now. The ice is melting at a rate never seen before having as major consequences the increase the levels of salinity in our waters but also refracting less light back into the cosmos. White is used in attempt to replace what is lost.
IN FOCUS
X at Vauxhall boat station. X for chromosome shape on a fairly large and wide petal.
Here in the Vauxhall park resting on a bench.
In Kennington Park.
Near KCL student accommodation building in Vauxhall
In Kennington Park
Peanut is presenting a dual repetitive nature and imitates simply the shape of a peanut. The puncture can also be reminding of mRNA strands going from the nucleus to the protein synthesis station.
A wave pattern is punched onto the petals to add additional shadows and light onto the structure. An additional layer of petals is added at each centre. Here the wave in Kennington park
Here the wave in my studio to explore the light and shadows created by the wave punch pattern.
The beluga pattern is defined a slight asymmetry of his shape but also with its shadow.