About project
The Royal Forest. A place everyone knows as Stromovka. A piece of romanticized idea of a wild forest sensibly placed in an urban environment. A place where people have the upper hand over nature. Perfectly manicured ponds and paths, carefully planted with flowers and branches trimmed to a shape that fulfils human ideal of a sleek nature that is a space for fun and recreation. People are its creators, stewards and users. It would almost seem that the problems of the contemporary landscape are miles away from Stromovka Park. The Living Forest installation brings a piece of the devastated forest right before the eyes of visitors to the preserve. The Dead Forest confronts visitors with the pressing problem of the Czech landscape, whose health has been disrupted by the interplay of the unfortunate farming practices of recent centuries and the effects of the global climate situation. The past months have shown us how easily our plans can change. Sometimes Plan A or Plan B is not enough. We must therefore try Plan C. It is not the quickest, the easiest or the most convenient. It requires our determination and our activity. But by working together, we can save the country. In fact, visitors can work together to bring life to a dead forest and contribute to the planting of suitable new trees in the landscape. The installation is designed to be reusable. In the future, it will go on the road to generate funds in various locations for organisations that are involved in long-term forest restoration. It will have its grand premiere at the Signal Festival. Get involved and try to keep the forest alive by working together.
The project is the winner of the open competition Signal Calling, which is created in collaboration with PrusaLab.
