Climate Conversations Installation Art of Memory Tree The installation features art banners, hanging in a public space, with large-scale images of tree drawings and other botanical-themed art. The viewer will experience a walk-through physical encounter with the banners, which could hang at torso level, depending on the location. Our goal is to invoke in our viewers personal memories of trees and the impact trees have had in their lives, such as a childhood memory, or a cherished tree. The banners will also include text of memories gathered from the public at previous installations. This proposed installation for CIAF is part of an ongoing, interactive project, also called ‘Climate Conversations’, that uses art and natural artifacts to collect and document viewers’ memories of trees. Please see the ‘Details of our creative practice’ section below for more information.
Our goal is to collect over 1,000 memories in 2023.
We plan to hang multiple (8-10) six-foot high, translucent banners, in a staggered formation to allow the public to mingle among them. We’ve provided a mock-up of the banners hanging in the trellis-covered walkway in Romare Bearden Park, as an example. Other locations would work as well, with stand-and-pipe hanging structures. The synthetic fiber, likely from Rose Brand, is strong and lightweight, so they will move in a breeze, but allow for intense public interaction.
- Tree drawings on the banners are by fine artist Wil Bosbyshell
- Botanical-themed fiber art created by fiber artist Maura Bosbyshell
- Database and data points summarizing past memories provided by Maura Bosbyshell
We will use signage with prompts to solicit memories, which viewers will share via a QR code. The QR will take them to a landing page on Wil’s website where they will enter their memory and see those of other viewers. Examples of prompts include, ‘Do you have a favorite tree or tree memory from your childhood?’ and ‘When was the last time you climbed a tree?’ On the landing page, viewers will also be able to upload a photo relating to their memory.
In addition, signage will provide ‘fun facts’, ie interesting data points and examples of past responses to viewers; for example,
The following locales outside the US are mentioned when referring to favorite trees (all memories were collected in Charlotte): - Jamaica (mango tree)
- Japan (willow)
- Kenya
- Morocco
- Trinidad (mango tree)
- W. Africa (palm tree)
- Spain (chestnut)
The objective of the Climate Conversations project is to use art to provoke memories and stimulate thinking about the impact and importance of trees. The project itself is not scientifically based, nor does it focus on future actions to save trees. Instead, it is more personal, seeking to elicit personal memories. We use art to get to the ‘why’ more so than the ‘how’. We know we are successful when people linger in an installation.
Each installation features site-, audience-, and event-relevant programming. Consistent components include public interaction, fine art, fiber art, and the collection and display of tree-related memories. We often curate multiple artists and offer public programming. The project can include single and multi-day as well as interior and exterior displays.
Past installations for the Climate Conversations project include: a) Resident Artist show at the McColl Center (2021) – We premiered the Memory Tree, a tree/large branch where viewers write memories on tags and hang them on the branches. Hence, we began collecting memories from viewers.
b) Earth Day Charlotte ’22 – Since Earth Day is family friendly, we include a hands-on art component for young children. We displayed tree disks, slices of tree trunks that have been cut down, to discuss loss of trees. The tree disks also provided a tactile aspect. We are currently planning for Charlotte Earth Day ‘23.
c) Gallery 206 (2022) – This installation was a key part of the organization’s month-long Creation Care program. We curated an art show with an environmental theme, which served as a fundraiser for the program. We co-lead a youth tour of the art exhibit, discussing environmental impacts in their lives and in the future. We also lead an adult program by sharing examples of memories we had collected.
We are artists whose art is rooted in a love for the natural environment, and our intimate but often unconscious relationship with it. Our fascination with trees lies in my belief that trees are not proverbial abstract things but individual, living beings with personalities and stories to tell. Bringing those stories into a daily consciousness is at the heart of our creative process. We hope to instill the public with a more personal relationship with trees—leading to greater understanding of their importance in the local ecosystem, the planet, and the spiritual place they hold in the world.
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