Black Forest Institute. Outdoor Installation. 2020–2023.
The Black Forest Institute is a non-brick-and-mortar collective that brings together artists, ecologists, and community members to foster dialogue about forest ecology, fire, and climate change. Operating without a permanent space, the institute manifests through temporary outdoor installations built from locally sourced and fire-scarred wood. At its core are Fireside Dialogues—public gatherings that combine discussion, storytelling, and skill-sharing sessions covering topics from fire prevention to traditional forestry crafts. Functioning simultaneously as an experimental art and forestry school, the institute invites participants to engage in hands-on learning and collective inquiry, treating the fireside as both a literal and metaphorical space for transformation. Through this work, the institute reimagines how art can address climate crisis, connecting people to their ecosystems and to one another through embodied knowledge and shared experience.
