Stranger to the trees / Kat Austen (UK/DE)
Microplastic particles have been found at the farthest reaches of the planet and within human bodies. But what does the presence of this anthropogenic new material mean for other entities with which humans share the planet? Stranger to the Trees is a new media project exploring the complementary coexistence of microplastics and trees as carbon sinks. How do trees and microplastics coexist in forests, capturing carbon in the time of the climate crisis? Combining video, interactive sound and sculpture, Stranger to the Trees queries the response of forest ecosystems to the ubiquitous and irrevocable dispersal of microplastics around the world. The extensive transdisciplinary research behind Stranger to the Trees has also given rise to a scientific paper showing the first evidence of microplastic inclusion in tree roots.
photo: tom mesic
Stranger to the trees / Kat Austen (UK/DE)
Microplastic particles have been found at the farthest reaches of the planet and within human bodies. But what does the presence of this anthropogenic new material mean for other entities with which humans share the planet? Stranger to the Trees is a new media project exploring the complementary coexistence of microplastics and trees as carbon sinks. How do trees and microplastics coexist in forests, capturing carbon in the time of the climate crisis? Combining video, interactive sound and sculpture, Stranger to the Trees queries the response of forest ecosystems to the ubiquitous and irrevocable dispersal of microplastics around the world. The extensive transdisciplinary research behind Stranger to the Trees has also given rise to a scientific paper showing the first evidence of microplastic inclusion in tree roots.
photo: tom mesic