Carola Grahn, 51 m³fub (What is a forest?), 2023. Photo Anders Norrsell.
Carola Grahn
Carola Grahn
(Born 1982, Jokkmokk)
51 m³fub (What is a forest?), 2023
Steel and every other year fuel wood
3 x 3 x 3 x 3 m
With the support of Knislingeverken and Wanås Gods AB
The work was made for the 2023 solo exhibition Trädgränsen [The Tree Line] where it was situated outside the entrance of the Main Barn. Upon acquisition in 2024, it was relocated in dialogue with the artist. To emphasize the industrial production cycle, the three minimalist steel cubes are alternately filled with fuelwood from Wanås Estate and left empty. The wood is sourced from the Wanås Estate and undergoes a temporary transformation into an artwork and commodity of different value. Once the cubes are emptied, the wood reenters the industrial cycle, as it is chipped onsite and used for heating the Estate buildings. The organic logs, derived from different wood types, emit a distinct smell and expand and contract in response to different weather conditions; however, framed by the geometric cubes, they also playfully mimic Minimalist artworks. The work encourages reflection on the nature of a forest and the qualities and values bestowed upon a tree in various contexts – whether it’s experienced during a forest walk, within industry, the energy market, or as part of an ecosystem.
