From a static condition of oblivion, selected plants come back to life for a very brief moment but still long enough to sum up an existence, until they vanish once again, alluding to the difficulty of restoring lost ecosystems.

 

“Resurrected” from their herbarium tombs through the glance of art, only to then go back to herbarium cabinets. Their short existence is a reminder of the irreversible nature of our actions. Ecosystems are intricate webs of life, interconnected and balanced by various dynamics that influence their survival. When one species disappears, it is never an isolated event but often leads to a cascading effect.

 

When plants become extinct in nature, it is not just the genetic code or the organism itself that is lost, but the entire symphony of relationships that allowed that plant to thrive. It is impossible to reconstruct that harmony in full. The very act of animating a plant from herbarium records acknowledges this profound absence: the plants I bring to life exist as solitary figures, disconnected from their original environments, flickering briefly before fading.​

 

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A couple of plants presented in the artwork

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The American chestnut (Castanea dentata) faced near extinction due to chestnut blight, which killed an estimated 4 billion trees. This loss caused a major ecological disruption, affecting wildlife and ecosystems. Current restoration efforts, including breeding programs and genetic engineering, aim to develop blight-resistant trees. If successful, re-establishing the species in nature may take decades. These efforts are further complicated by challenges related to funding, collaborations, and regulatory agreements required for the introduction of genetically modified trees.

 

Helonias bullata (swamp pink), native to Staten Island, New York, is now extirpated from the region but still exists in North Carolina, New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland. The plant was primarily extirpated due to extensive wetland drainage for urban development and agriculture. Pollution from fertilizers, pesticides, and urban runoff further degraded water quality. In addition to environmental pressures, Helonias bullata faces biological challenges. Its seeds have restricted long-distance dispersal, relying mainly on butterflies, bumblebees, and sweat bees, as well as water movement. As a result, in a degraded environment, the plant depends heavily on self-pollination, which reduces genetic diversity and limits its ability to recolonize damaged habitats. Restoration efforts must focus on carefully managing wetland hydrology.​​​​