Client: Hood Design Studio

Overview

Three Trees: Jackson, Obama, Washington was created by Walter J. Hood, creative director and founder of Hood Design Studio. The artwork is installed at the Chicago Cultural Center for the 2019 Chicago Architecture Biennial. It responds to tensions surrounding the plans to build the Obama Presidential Library on public land in Jackson Park on the South Side of Chicago. Hood relocated trees from the South Side to the Chicago Cultural Center to create a piece that engages with ideas such as the presence of memory in landscape, and responds to debates regarding public and private ownership and land use. See more at hooddesignstudio.com. Go to 12starsmedia.com/waking-the-dragon to watch a beautiful mini-documentary about the making of Three Trees, produced by 12 Stars Media. Image credits — Kendall McCaugherty, Cory Dewald.

Goals

The Chicago Architecture Biennial showcases emerging talent in architecture, design, and the arts to engage a wide public audience. The 2019/2020 Biennial was "particularly inspired by Chicago, moving beyond the grand narratives of the city's architectural heritage to explore the history and conditions that have and continue to shape its urban development. With a broader view on the field of architecture, it embraces practices that span building, design, planning, visual art, policymaking, education, and activism." --chicagoarchitecturebiennial.org/about.

Process

Ignition Arts Fabrication Scope: project management, design development, fabrication, installation. Fabrication partner: Indy Urban Hardwood.