The forester who cleared the plot left three tree stumps for birds of prey to sit on. Together the tree stumps resemble a monument, and are treated as such.
The stumps were made into a photogrammetric model. The trunks will rot over time, but I’m looking for ways to prevent them from disappearing completely. They could be injected with a resin, for instance.
To enable the three tree trunks to transform into totems, I’m ‘charging’ them regularly by adding plaquettes and making other small adjustments related to my research.
My trip to The Plot crosses the Belgian-Dutch border. Due to Covid related travel restrictions, I haven’t been at The Plot as much as I would like the last few years.
Each time I’m there, interesting conversations with passing visitors for the nature park occur. Since The Plot looks devastated, people are curious as to know what happened. This provides an additional, personal way for me to communicate the research.
The Three Trees function as a meeting ground, a place to reflect on the reality of the ecological issues at hand, and as an arena for performative research.
I’m regularly making a photogrammetric models of the Three Trees, which comes in handy when traveling to The Plot is difficult. The model also functions as a simulation for possible modifications and additions.
Photogrammetric models are constructed from numerous photos of an object or area. Software connects all photos from all sides into a virtual copy.
Usually, these models show imperfections and have an almost ruin-like appearance, especially when untextured. When the model is textured using the photographs, it makes an eerily realistic impression.
Photogrammetric models are isolated, devoid of their surroundings, and therefor without context. An archive of these models is comparable with a collection of historical objects in museum displays.
See also Psychopomp/Newcharon.