Wrapped Trees
art installation / miniature designer & builder
Artist Inge Meijer and I joined forces to craft a captivating miniature installation as a part of her exhibition, 'Nothing is Something to be Seen,' hosted at the Akinci art gallery in Amsterdam. At the heart of Inge's artistic narrative lies the intricate interplay between humanity and its environment, a dynamic in which the natural world pulsates with life, yet mankind constantly seeks to impose its will upon it.
The Wrapped Trees installation, is a recreation of a real-world scene in the Netherlands. Urban developers shroud trees in plastic nets, a stark symbol of their bid to thwart birds from nesting and expedite tree removal without the encumbrance of special permits. This ironic reality is the essence we sought to encapsulate through this miniature art installation.
My work
Concept art
Miniature set
In addition to conceptualizing the art installation, I designed and constructed the miniature set. Each of the trees in this downsized world was recreated to mirror the exact shapes of their real-life counterparts before they were felled. I handcrafted nearly every single tree branch.
To heighten the visual impact of the nets enveloping the trees, we employed three precisely programmed wind fans. These fans operated at varying speeds and intervals, emulating the gentle rustling of a breeze as it moved through the installation, enhancing the overall ambiance.
Credits
release: September 2021
client: Inge Meijer
concept art & design: Joery Verweij
miniature builder: Joery Verweij
miniature assistance: Merlijn van de Sande, Inge Meijer, Ellington Mingus, Terri Mollet, Wim Teeuwen
D.O.P.: Terri Mollet
gallery: Akinci