The Trellis Project (L'art du Treillageur)
Abstract
Trellis has been used as a structure to support plant growth for thousands of years. Drawing from traditions of participatory performance, conceptual art, and social practice, The Trellis Project (L’art du Treillageur) utilizes the trellis form as a historical and aesthetic reference for thinking through support structures relevant to our current moment. The work engages participants in construction and reflection; this iteration of the project saw participants build and document their own miniature trellis, contributing their reflections and documentation to a community archive based online and housed in a sculptural installation. The work may continue to grow as a system of social and economic relations through subsequent works, additional collaborations, and social media presence. The Trellis Project aims to engage with a collective imaginary: What structures support us? What structures do we demand be built? What structures must remain?