Landing: East-West Cycle
Environmental / United States of America
Three large circles of 400 jute shipping bags were arranged in a triangular formation on the forest floor at The Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The material was identical to the jute bags that introduced Japanese Stiltgrass to North America in 1919, which were once used as packing material for porcelain.
Visitors approached the geometric patterns as a picnic area or domesticated clearing, unaware they were standing on an active ecological invasion delivered by the same material now arranged above it. The geometric appearance triggered speculation about extraterrestrial landing sites.
Over eight months, the biodegradable jute broke down. Native and invasive species grew through the decomposing geometry. The clearing returned to its previous state, where native plants remained suppressed by stiltgrass. ☐
Location: The Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
Exhibition Program: Extinct Extant: Art in the Environment II, The Big Nothing
Presenters: ICA Institute of Contemporary Art (University of Pennsylvania), The Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education, Philadelphia Sculptors
Organizer: Mary Salvante (Schuylkill Center), Leslie Kaufman (Philadelphia Sculptors)
Artists: Brian Tolle, Jackie Brookner, Liat Margolis, Alex Robinson, Sylvia Benitez, Knox Cummin, Jan Tomilson Master, Edward Dormer
Industry: Arts and Culture—Outdoor Installation and Public Art
LUCARNE 