Harvesting Every 30 Years Chialing Chang

On the occasion of Romantic Route 3 – one of the biggest regional art festivals in Taiwan – the design studio messagingleaving, led by multidisciplinary designer Chialing Chang, imagined “Harvesting Every 30 Years”. A specific installation at the Dongshih Forest Cultural Park in Taichung, Taiwan, it evokes the context of forest development in the region. The name of the installation refers to the harvesting time of a tree and prompts reflection on the sustainable use of forest resources.

The installation consists of six imposing wooden modules that realize the concept of using the whole tree. The upper and lower frames are made of cedar wood, while all vertical pieces are sapwood offcuts from industry. When the modules come together, the bark segments reconstitute a tree in its full diameter, as if planted in rows, replicating the artificial forest landscape.

Confronting natural quality and artificial manipulation, the installation “Harvesting Every 30 Years” raises the following question: does the managed forest still belong to the domain of nature?