Juliana Rosales, nature_data, 2007.

In 2007, Juliana Rosales was commissioned to create an 11-month installation on the interior façade of the Centro Cultural de España in Montevideo to address environmental issues. Working with agricultural engineer Raúl Nin Revello, Rosales chose to use a native species called “barbas de capuchino” (Spanish moss), a plant whose range extends from the southern United States to the south of Argentina. These grey plants grow from tree branches, taking their nutrients from the air, and are very sensitive to pollution levels. With the help of Nin Revello, Rosales transplanted the plants from various Uruguayan forests to urban Montevideo and mounted them on a frame. The rarefied atmosphere of the interior installation space (air conditioning, lighting conditions, etc.) tested the plants’ growth, decay, resilience and adaptation, while underscoring their fragility. Once the installation was finished, the plants were returned to their natural landscape.

Courtesy of Juliana Rosales.