Mist-Trees is a grove of indigenous trees on life support. Recalling the natural history of the site, the artwork aims to reinstate a balance between nature and the urban environment. As artificially constructed remnants of the original forest in this part of Sydney, the Mist-Trees are juxtaposed and supported with nutrients and water within the new urban framework.

‘Nature’ is often thought of as separate to human culture and outside of the urban context. In this project the rehabilitation of part of a ‘natural’ ecology necessarily engages in the nature/culture dichotomy seeking to highlight the positive acts of restoring and supporting. Here ‘nature’ far from being ‘out there’ resides within our urban city centre. The Mist-Trees seek to creatively elaborate on the relationship rather than the schism between the cultures of ‘nature’ and ‘urbanism’ so as to explore and celebrate the eclectic nature of our contemporary urban ecologies.

Increasing urbanisation through the establishment and growth of cities and suburbs automatically results in the erasure of a natural indigenous environment. And every such erasure results in a cultural amnesia and a community’s disconnection from its natural environment. Mist-Trees fosters a cultural memory by partially restoring what has been lost from the past. In a social and political climate where we are increasingly concerned with our environment and the loss of biodiversity this act of restoration, of rehabilitation becomes a positive celebration of our indigenous flora.

The relationship of the Mist-Trees to the Cenotaph in the Martin Place site has particular resonance, creating a link between remembrance of the fallen soldiers and the fallen trees, a bridging link between cultural and environmental healing.