The story of the modern world is one of humanity’s impact on natural systems. Sometimes, we tread heavily, sometimes we tread lightly, in either case we have an indelible impact on the landscape and the natural systems of which we are a part. In recent years, a trend has emerged where amazing photography locations well off the beaten trail are discovered through social media and pilgrimages of content creators converge on those locations. Even if each person takes care and treads lightly, the cumulative effect of people on the planet will inevitably impact the natural environment.

Vestigia Arborum explores the theme of this cumulative impact of human beings on natural systems, using the ubiquitous mobile phone as a metaphor for the modern world, technology and the often unseen and uninterrogated impact of our modern lives. While we may be conscious aware of ideas such as global heating and carbon footprints, we don’t always reflect on those effects that happen far away from our point of purchase.

Vestigia Arborum is an immersive installation that marries projection, pixel mapping, lights, and an interactive soundtrack. Images are projected onto and suspended from a large Banyan Fig Tree. The work uses the bluetooth signals generated from mobile devices as a proxy to detect the presence of people nearby. The larger the presence, the more they distort the video and audio that is being mapped to the tree. Blending multiple layers of video and sound, the number of people observing the tree will influence the work resulting in a unique iteration each time. The work also features a stunning soundtrack from Jim Moginie (Midnight Oil).

A collaboration with Jim Moginie and Kym Thomas.

Vestigia Arborum premiered at the Botanica 2023 in the Brisbane botanical gardens, and was a festival highlight, experienced by over 80,000 people.