Luke Jerram, whose art installations have travelled the world, is philosophical about his latest project bearing fruit beyond his time on Earth.<\/p>\n
Known for his Play Me I\u2019m Yours street pianos project<\/a> and his Museum of the Moon artwork<\/a> \u2013 a seven-metre diameter sculpture of the moon featuring detailed Nasa imagery of the lunar surface \u2013 Jerram is now working on Echo Wood, a living, breathing installation made of native British trees.<\/p>\n Planted this winter in Somerset\u2019s Chew Valley, in collaboration with the charity Avon Needs Trees<\/a>, the 365 trees \u2013 crabapple, hawthorn and oak \u2013 will slowly grow into a vast 110-metre-wide design and will take a century to fully emerge, long after Jerram is gone.<\/p>\n A mock-up of Echo Wood, which will contain 365 trees in a design that will allow the centre to be used as a creative space. Illustration: Enviral<\/p>\n \u201cIn 50 to 100 years I\u2019m not going to be here,\u201d Jerram, 50, says next to a scale model of the project in his studio in Bristol. \u201cI\u2019m at a stage in my career when I\u2019m starting to look forward, I\u2019m not looking back.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m 50, it might be a midlife crisis. I\u2019m up to 900 exhibitions now. Forty countries around the world and the artworks are in about 80 museums. So you suddenly start thinking about legacy projects and the fact that I can\u2019t keep these levels of energy up.<\/p>\n \u201cI suppose there\u2019s something quite nice about projecting yourself into a future, which is quite exciting.\u201d<\/p>\n The living sculpture will form part of Lower Chew Forest, which at 422 acres and 100,000 trees, will be one of the biggest new woodlands in England<\/a> when completed.<\/p>\n Pathways and avenues, blossoming at different times of year, will be created to guide visitors to Echo Wood on a journey through the forest towards a central circular gathering space, formed from 12 English oak trees.<\/p>\n As with many of his projects, Jerram wants this central space to foster creativity. \u201cIt will form an event space. It can be used for weddings or educational activities, music, poetry, you name it,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n Artwork Echo Wood through the seasons \u2013 video<\/p>\n Jerram\u2019s other works, which often touch on themes of nature and the climate emergency, include: Gaia, a seven-metre diameter sculpture of the Earth using Nasa imagery; Helios, a sculpture of the Sun using detailed solar imagery to recreate its surface; and Tipping Point, a simulated forest fire combining smoke, lights and sound.<\/p>\n Echo Wood is perhaps the closest representation of those themes, a symbol of the fight against climate change. \u201cThis is a way to physically do something about it. Using creativity to inspire the general public, but also to help use trees to raise a bit of money and create a legacy,\u201d Jerram says. \u201cWhat art can do is communicate messages in a different language that can then reach people in a slightly different way.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m often collaborating with scientists, but also charities on how to communicate their ideas.\u201d<\/p>\n