In the midst of the composed context of the Zoo’s park trees, stands our installation: a combination of inflatable pink balloon like sculptures, resting upon a wooden installation. The branches we used are from the Zoo’s enclosures, gnawed and eaten by the animals themselves. These branches have undergone a serie of processes to end up within this installation: From planting, upkeep, harvesting, transportation, planning, placement, animal chewing, removal, and finally the application within the installation. When creating the pink sculptures however, we realised that they were by itself only a tiny amount of material filled with air, and apart from the textile producer have only been touched by our hands. These difference’s in proces make us wonder, how do we define an object as being “natural”? Together they form a different kind of reality, A reality which forms a metaphor in exploring interdependence between people and their environment.
/ Interdependent Tree
Royal Zoo Artis – Amsterdam
04.2018 – 08.2018
Nylon, gnawed branches (by animals in Artis), elastic, jute rope, metal, air-blowers.
When is something artificially created and when does it qualify as naturally grown? What’s the effect of human intervention or handmade creation within the realm of nature? These are questions that came to mind when we were asked to create an installation for Artis Zoo in Amsterdam; a context where “the natural” constantly transitions and intersects with “the artificial”.