A
The Host: Forest Eyes
Exhibitors
Ralph Nabil Nasrallah, Blake Hillebrand
Is it possible to imagine a future where forests are viewed as political stakeholders, instead of destructible resources that people can exploit for a profit?
This project asks a question that arises from the notion of a parasite sponging on a host. Is it always clear which party is the host?
For five months, Ralph Nabil Nasrallah and Blake Hillebrand conducted studies in a Swedish forest using a simple vessel called the Host. They observed, listened and reflected, instead of acting like dominant aggressors. One of the things they observed was that bark, usually regarded as a waste product, is one of the forest’s essential materials.
The Host: Forest Eyes invites the observer to reconsider which parts of nature are valuable. The project challenges general views of the world’s forests by showing how architecture can support planetary needs, instead of destroying the planet. The project is driven by an urgent need for action and by a hope for a future built on respect, balance and responsibility.
Collage of our research, design ideas, interviews, field trip notes, matters collected from the forest etc. Credits: Ralph Nabil Nasrallah
This drawing shows the Forest as an unknown site for experimentation, speculating on what we might encounter before our field trip. Credits: Ralph Nabil Nasrallah
After the Host, we developed a series of interventions ‘Forest Eyes’, informed by our research on symbiotic relationship in the Forest, to shelter interspecies awareness. Credits: Ralph Nabil Nasrallah
Research collage. Credits: Ralph Nabil Nasrallah
Our journey between the two forests was rhythmed by several stopping points. These places are where we established the Host to explore and study. Credits: Ralph Nabil Nasrallah
