IMPOSSIBLE
FOREST
JARED GRADINGER
JAREDGRADINGER.COM
IMPOSSIBLE FOREST
The impossible forest is an artificial forest made out of dead trees. The focus of
this garden will be the ‘forest floor’, which will offer its visitors a quiet place to sit,
a path to walk, a respite from ‘normal life’ and the possibility to observe a new
kind of ecosystem.
Normally, forest floors are barren from plant life due to the amount of nutrients
a tree needs to absorb from the soil. The trees also block out the sun and stunt
the growth of most plants that attempt to grow there. But here, the floor will be
covered with a wide variety of grass alternatives which visitors will be able to sit
and even walk on. These grasses are more aesthetically pleasing and require
less water for their upkeep. The garden will also host a wide array of wild flowers,
ferns, mosses, and plants that are not commonly found underneath trees.
The dead trees themselves will be obtained through different sources around
Berlin. They are trees that have been cut down for various reasons and will be
repurposed for this public garden. Roughly 25 trees will be organized in a way
that they create different spaces in the garden as well as different degrees of
solitude. Some trees will be placed horizontally in order to offer different niches
for plants as well as for people to sit on. Even dead, trees can host a wide variety
of bird, plant and animal life. We will create situations that will be inviting for
them. Tree stumps will also be used to create other levels and seats for people.
The garden will be roughly 40 meters by 6 meters and situated in the middle of
the concrete open space of the Ufer Studios. This is an impossible urban garden
situated in an unlikely location. The first garden I created in the Ufer Studios
was also an ‘impossible’ one, with only 20-40 cm of soil and a concrete floor, I
created a basically self-sustaining ecosystem that contains a pond with fish and
an extensive array of plant life. This garden is 2 years old and has only become
more rich over time. It brings to the Ufer Studios new animal life (heron, ducks,
falcon etc), new insect life (never disturbing) and the soil has become extremely
fertile. This garden offers a unique view and atmosphere, however its purpose
was not to be occupied internally by people. The forest gardens’ main purpose is
just that; to offer the artists, students and visitors an extremely rich, organic and
unique place to participate in Nature in the middle of a barren urban setting.
The process of creation will include the participation of artists and students
working in the Ufer Studios as well as ‘Wedding neighbors’ who are interested
in getting their hands dirty and participating in the process. I will lead a group of
students through the process of creation, finding the connections between urban
gardens, nature, public spaces, choreography, installative art, and performance.
Co-creative gardeners work in a conscious partnership with Nature to create an environmentally
balanced biosphere on all levels seen and unseen. Balance is the dominant state of being within any
reality. It is the state of being that links individual systems to one another and the whole. Nature is the
conscious reality that supplies order, form and life vitality. We are taking steps to create a community
based garden in hopes to emulate and enhance the creative life vitality of the Ufer Studios. This will
be done with intuition interest and care.
GARDEN AS MEDITATION.
In the Mystery Schools of the Occult Sciences, there is a specific preparation necessary to incorporate into
one’s daily life even before a teacher is found. These practices focus on creating space for thought and
feeling (not emotions) through simple observation; in order to begin to make space for all that is unseen.
From this practice, the first ‘meditation’ is rooted in seeing. It is to begin to notice all that is budding,
thriving and growing around us and observe the feelings and thoughts that arise. As well, we should
give equal attention to all that is fading, decaying and dying. It has been said that the feeling of
blossoming and growing will feel remotely similar to watching a sunrise, and the feeling of death
and decay will evoke an experience comparable in the same way to the slow rising of the moon over
the horizon. In creating space for these two forces and surrendering to the feelings that arise, a new
world can open up in relation to the unseen. This meditation is to help us to let go of intellectualizing
what we observe and simply allow the things themselves to teach us. This meditation is best coupled
with ‘artistic feeling’, with a quiet, introspective nature. ‘Artistic feeling’ pierces through the surface of
things, and by doing so reaches their secrets.
IMPOSSIBLE FOREST
FORM: We consider reality to be in the form state when there is order, organization and
life vitality [initiates action] combined with a state of consciousness. . . .
We do not consider form to be only that which can be perceived by the five senses. In fact,
we see form from this perspective to be extremely limited, both in its life reality and in its
ability to function. We see form from the perspective of the five senses to be useful only for
the most basic and fundamental level of identification. From this perspective, there is very
little relationship to the full understanding and knowledge of how a unit or form system
functions.
All energy contains order, organization and life vitality; therefore, all energy is form. If one
were to use the term “form” to identify that which can be perceived by the five senses and
the word “energy” to refer to that aspect of an animal, human, plant or object’s reality that
cannot be readily perceived by the five senses, then one would be accurate in the use of
these two words. However, if one were to use the word “form” to refer to that which can be
perceived by the five senses and assume that form to be a complete unit of reality unto itself,
and use the word “energy” to refer to a level beyond form, one would then be using these
words inaccurately. From our perspective, form and energy create one unit of reality and are
differentiated from one another solely by the individual’s ability to perceive them with his or
her sensory system. In short, the differentiation between form and energy within any given
object, plant, animal or human lies with the observer.
On the planet Earth, the personality, character, emotional makeup, intellectual capacity,
strong points and gifts of a human are all form. They are that which gives order, organization
and life vitality to consciousness.
Order and organization are the physical structures that create a framework for form. In short, they
define the walls. But we have included the dynamic of life vitality when we refer to form because
one of the elements of form is action, and it is life vitality that initiates and creates action.
Texts from
Machaelle Small Wright.
NATURE: In the larger universe and beyond, on its many levels and dimensions, there
are a number of groups of consciousness that, although equal in importance, are quite
different in expression and function. Together, they make up the full expression of the larger,
total life picture. No one piece, no one expression, can be missing or the larger life picture on
all its levels and dimensions will cease to exist. One such consciousness has been universally
termed “nature.” Because of what we are saying about the larger picture not existing without
all of its parts, you may assume that nature exists as both a reality and a consciousness on all
dimensions and all levels. It cannot be excluded.
Each group of consciousness has an area of expertise. As we said, all groups are equal in
importance but express and function differently from one another. These different expressions
and functions are vital to the overall balance of reality. A truly symbiotic relationship exists
among the groups and is based on balance — that is, universal balance. The human
soul-oriented dynamic is evolution in scope and function. Nature is a massive, intelligent
consciousness group that expresses and functions within the many areas of involution, that
is, moving soul-oriented consciousness into any direction or level of form.
Nature is the conscious reality that supplies order, organization and life vitality for this shift.
Nature is the consciousness that is, for your working understanding, intimately linked with
form. Nature is the consciousness that comprises all form on all levels and dimensions. It is
form’s order, organization and life vitality. Nature is first and foremost a consciousness of
equal importance with all other groups of consciousness in the largest scheme of reality. It
expresses and functions uniquely in that it comprises all form on all levels and dimensions
and is responsible for and creates all of form’s order, organization and life vitality.
‘Why is it seemingly so important for humanity to reconnect spiritually to planet Earth now,’
what would you say?”
I would emphasize to you the word “survival” in answering a question
such as this one. But I would be quick to point out that I don’t mean
survival in the traditional sense you humans tend to understand. You see
survival as the opposite of death. We don’t recognize death as a reality,
therefore we don’t use survival in the same context.
By survival, we mean the act of maintaining the fusion and balance
between spirit and matter on the physical planet Earth. There is no
death, in that spirit does not suddenly cease to exist. Spirit is timeless
and shall exist for all eternity. But on Earth, the primary thrust is to fuse in
balance spirit and matter. Therefore, to separate spirit from that form is to
go contrary to the very purpose of the planet within the larger universal
community.
If mankind, through either ignorance or arrogance, succeeds in separating
all spirit from form on Earth, he will not render the planet out of existence.
He will only shift its level of existence. This change will not take Earth’s
purpose from it. It will not suddenly be excused, shall we say, from
ultimately demonstrating to all universal levels of reality the celebration of
unlimited spirit seated into and reflecting from perfect five-senses form. If
such a disastrous shift should occur, mankind will only have succeeded in
making a challenging job that much more challenging.
We were always meant to work in partnership — we of nature and man.
The very physical existence of man on Earth has depended upon all
kingdoms of nature. In short, the very fact that man and nature co-exist
on the planet has partnership inherent in it. The partnership, prior to
these present changing times, has developed and grown. Quite often,
man has been reluctant to acknowledge this fact. The force behind our
partnership has always been the discovery of what must occur between
man and nature for spirit and matter to be fully fused in balance. From the
moment man and nature came together on the planet, this link between
us has not changed.
Times, however, have changed. The partnership, as with everything else,
must be modernized and brought into the present time. It must shift
from being one of distant benevolence, as it has been in the best of past
times, to being one of conscious co-creativity. This must happen in order
to move forward in the demonstration of that which is Earth’s purpose,
break down the barriers that you have built between us and work with us
in a new partnership.
Humans do not, on the whole, understand the dynamic relationship
between spirit and matter. Nature does. It is a dynamic that is inherent
within the life force of nature. But in order for the dynamic to be fully
useful to all other levels of reality within this universe, it must be unlocked
from its custodianship within nature and linked with the human tool of
intelligence. Only then can it be applied in principle within all realms
of life. That which is nature is powerful beyond your imagination. And
that which is human is also powerful beyond your imagination. Man
and nature, come together as we have on this planet, hold the promise
and potential of many times their individual power, if only they can work
together to unlock that which nature holds and infuse the human ability
to create expanded usefulness through the tool of applied intellectual
knowledge.
If humans continue their reluctance to join us in the partnership we are
suggesting, then surely out of human ignorance and arrogance, we
will all continue to experience difficult challenges to our survival and,
eventually, we will be faced with the full separation of spirit from matter
on this planet.
IMPOSSIBLE FOREST - Uferstudios 40 m X 6m (2016)
MOOD BOARD
IMPOSSIBLE FOREST - Uferstudios 40 m X 6m (2016)
MOOD BOARD
PLAN
IMPOSSIBLE FOREST - Uferstudios 40 m X 6m (2016)
40 m
6m
Metal Support
Cement Base
1m
IMPOSSIBLE FOREST - VISUALISATION (not to scale)
VISUALISATION