A Portrait of Soil in Time

2019

1m x 1m Absorbent Paper

​

The project attempts to explore the relationship between nature signs and time. 
Some trees in nature can be thought of sensors for the changing level of underground water. Their roots reach very deep into the soil to search water underground, when the underground water dries out, in 6 months to a year, the tree will die from drought. The reaction of what tree senses is not immediately, the signs emerged through time, there’s always a velocity delay. Nowadays, we use satellite imagery or remote sensing to show evidence, yet those methods lack a duration sense of time, they are all showing an instant time.
The project is to make a series of natural indicators to capture this concept of time as well as record the duration of environmental reaction time. In response to the concept, the project is experimenting with the relationship by showing the changing of Soil pH level in a period of time. As the signs emerged from the indicators, time is solidifying in these colours.

​

​