Green Canopy
Green Canopy is inspired by the Amazon rainforest. The canopy consists of monumental trees and vegetation that creates a green umbrella. Trees are central to Amazonian cosmologies. Among the Shuar, for example, trees are the reincarnation of Uwi, the God of creation and master of the perpetuation of life. This is a wise belief: the green canopy is one of Earth’s essential support systems, recycling and purifying air and water.
Green Canopy is articulated as a large multimodal architectural object. The 10-foot high ‘forest’ is made from scraps, leftovers, and recycled materials, such as PVC pipes and carpet padding. ‘Lianas’ made from woven plastic bags and VHS tapes cover the ‘trunks.’ The process of fabrication proposes alternatives to the lifecycle of everyday materials and examines the role of objects (and trash) in a post-industrial society. The plastic forest is a reminder that non-biodegradable materials are irreversibly replacing oxygen-producing trees.
The installation design explores the verticality of the rainforest experience. Synthesized sonic events reproduce the temporal complexity of the Amazonian soundscape. The eco-composition captures the life experiences that inspired the work.
Places exhibited:
Green Canopy 1.0 was part of the 6th Kingston Sculpture Biennial (2005) and was exhibited at Hamilton College as part of the 30th anniversary of Sculpture Space (Clinton, 2006), both in New York. The sound system in this first version was powered by solar panels provided by ETM Solar Works. Green Canopy 2.0 was exhibited at the Islip Art Museum, New York (2006) and Ewing Gallery, Knoxville, TN (2007). The sculpture Green Canopy 3.0 (2006) and the ubiquitous music work Green Canopy 4.0 (2009) were presented in Mexico City, Berlin and Recife, Brazil.
Publications:
Keller, D. and Pimenta, M. S. and Flores, L. V. and Capasso, A. and Tinajero, P, Green Canopy: On The Road [Ubiquitous Music Artwork], 2009, Proceedings of the Brazilian Symposium on Computer Music (XII SBCM), pp. 139-150
These works were documented in catalogs and in the peer-reviewed journals Organised Sound and Journal of New Music Research.
Press:
Supporters and grants:
These works were possible thanks to the support of Sculpture Space, College of Music, University of Northern Texas, ETM Solar Works, Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico de Brasil and LMAKprojects.
