Katie Paterson
Katie Paterson’s To Burn, Forest, Fire harnesses the power of scent to bridge millions of years and transports us through time. The work serves as a reminder of humanity’s ability to either destroy or nurture other forms of life. Two incense sticks stand on a shelf. One evokes the smells of the earth’s earliest forest, while the other imagines the aroma of the last forest. The diagrams on the left help us understand what the smells are composed of. As our planet warms and local climates change, flora and fauna are forced to adapt, migrate, or die. To Burn, Forest, Fire conveys us on an olfactory journey through the earth's arboreal history. The artist asks us to consider the magnificent diversity held within the forest and the increasing levels of extinction caused by humanity. She urges us to both protect our planet's remaining forests and assist in the formation of new ones.
To Burn, Forest, Fire will be ignited every other Thursday through August and every Thursday starting September 12.
Katie Paterson. To Burn, Forest, Fire, 2021 (Originally commissioned by IHME Helsinki). Bespoke incense sticks. Courtesy of the artist. Photo: Veikko Somerpuro.
Katie Paterson. To Burn, Forest, Fire, 2021 (Originally commissioned by IHME Helsinki). Bespoke incense sticks. Courtesy of the artist.
Katie Paterson. To Burn, Forest, Fire, 2021 (Originally commissioned by IHME Helsinki). Bespoke incense sticks. Courtesy of the artist. Photo: Veikko Somerpuro.