companion species puzzle

For the Wood Land exhibition at Schloss Hollenegg for Design, Marte Mei van Haaster brought me on to collaborate on a project that investigates the mutually beneficial relationships, between different species of trees and their caretakers in a production forest.

Marte: “To imitate this dynamic within the work, I wanted to work with a craftsman in a way where our work would support each other in the outcome: be both supportive and co-dependent.
I created the ceramic pieces and the idea of using raw pine and beech to create wooden puzzle pieces, interlinking how the trees do, and Rutger made all the wood craft pieces in his studio. Seeing how Rutger’s woodwork moves along with, rather than against, the shapes the tree has grown in, his craftsmanship shows how to utilize craft in order to collaborate with nature. I could not have imagined doing the project with anyone else and it has been the biggest joy and privilege to see it come to life in Rutger’s hands.” 


beech and pine with natural oil finish

aprox.
160cm long
90cm wide
110cm high