Miquel Gelabert recently completed an important year-long collaboration with the historic Mar i Murtra Botanical Garden in Blanes, Spain.  In keeping with the garden’s mission of preservation and as an alternative to excavation, Miquel Gelabert was invited to commemorate lost trees found at the site to create monumental in situ sculptures, or environmental artworks that celebrate the life of the trees and their surroundings.

The central sculpture is made from a lost pine (pinus halepensis) reimagined in its totemic elements. Gelabert’s vibrant lines mimic the natural patterns in the tree’s exterior and serve to reanimate the tree’s majestic form.  The reclaimed bark thoughtfully arranged in a circle between sky and sea, further serve as  a reminder of the sacred qualities of the site, reserved in centuries past as a place of spiritual reflection.

For the project, Gelabert created 3 individual interventions with trees, each situated at distinct junctures within the garden’s picturesque pathways. In each case the use of the existing botanical forms contrasted with bright and rhythmic colors creates a wonderful contemporary synergy with the natural and historic appeal of this beautifully curated Garden.