While the beautiful is limited, the sublime is unlimited, so that the mind, in the presence of the sublime, trying to imagine what it cannot, feels pain in failure but pleasure in contemplating the immensity of the attempt.” Immanuel Kant, Critique of Pure Reason, 1781.

Breathing Forest is a project that reflects on the fate of the forest. The work is an audiovisual installation that recreates an atmosphere full of sensations that appeal directly to the experience of the forest. The proposal, through sound, image, light and colour, generates an immersive space that transports the viewer to their own memories of nature. The audience is invited to contemplate the forest, highlighting the details of their surroundings and the sounds of their environment, and in this way, discover all its beauty. Through the use of technological tools, the aim is to highlight the sublime in nature, capturing an instant magic that is in danger of disappearing.

Technically, the installation is composed of 4 geometric modules of iron and fabric distributed in the space. For the construction of these modules, ecological fabric made from eucalyptus, fir, pine, birch and beech wood fibres (Power II by Pyrates Smart Fabrics) was used. In turn, the fabric is biodegradable and compostable, completing a perfect cycle of sustainability. The use of these materials allows us to reflect on this cycle. Both the iron and the fabric come from the earth. The metaphor closes with the visual dialogue between the modules and the projection of images and sounds of nature. In a way, the work speaks of itself. The fabric made of tree fibre shows on its surface the forest from which it was born and to which it will return in death.

The piece is positioned within the environmental problems we are experiencing. Our contemporary society's consumption of resources is pushing our planet to the limit. The indiscriminate destruction of ecosystems and climate change are the most worrying consequences of a model of life that could even lead to the destruction of our own species. The only possible way forward is a radical change in our way of life towards sustainability. Breathing Forest seeks to highlight the magic of the forest, making present what matters most is a way to fight for its conservation.

This piece is a collaborative project between Tamara Jacquin and Daniel Domingo Schweitzer.