Israeli artists Shai Zakai was selected to participate in the Geum-Gang Nature Art Biennale, in Kong-Ju, South Korea, in August 2004.
Out of 105 proposals from around the world, 30 artists from Europe, Asia, and the U.S. were selected, including the two artists from Israel. 30 Korean artists will also participate in the biennale. The biennale is being organized by "Yatoo," a well known Korean artists’ association, in collaboration with a German guest curator.
Participation of the artists from Israel is supported by the Foreign Ministry, Department of Arts, Culture, and Science. Artist Shai Zakai will receive additional support from "Mifal Hapais" Fund for the production of her work.

Shai Zakai – photographer, ecological artist, founder and director of the "Israeli Forum for Ecological Art", deals with creative solutions to environmental issues through art, such as river restoration and restoring damaged landscapes. Shai works in various media - video, photography, installation and is a lecturer and an environmental consultant. She introduced the term/discipline of "ecological art" to Israel. Shai recently created the first annual course in ecological art in this country which is held in her studio, the "Concrete Creek 1999-2002" area, and the Ella valley. Shai is a graduate of the photography department of Hadassah College. She has a B.A in Art History and a Master’s degree (MA) in Art and Environmental Policy, from the Hebrew University. Her work has been exhibited in museums and galleries in Israel and around the world, including China, the USA, Japan, and Europe. This year, Zakai is celebrating the 10th anniversary of the publishing of her book, "A Picture of a Woman." In recent years Shai represented Israel as a member of official delegations to the Johannesburg Earth Summit, and the 'Second World Water Forum', in Kyoto. While in Korea, Shai Zakai will work on behalf of the Israeli Forum for Ecological Art, to promote the “Israeli Ecological Art Biennale” planned to take place in Israel, in 2006.

For the biennale, in Korea Shai Zakai will reinforce "Genius Loci" ( sense of place) by installing 7 metal "landscape units," that will form a walking path with intended stops for in-depth observation of details of the local biodiversity. The artist will locate the "landscape units" according to a photographic study and a land survey, done in collaboration with a Korean ecologist, including a mapping of endemic plants, for conservation, characterizing contemporary and historic environmental damage of the site. In parallel, the artist will establish a dialogue between inside and outside, by using macro photographs to convey the outdoor track's rhythm and its details. The images will be placed in an additional 7 "landscape units creating an opportunity for careful observation of precious details of nature, similar to the experience of examining valuable diamonds, and an intimate experience for the viewer with the “spirit of the place.”

The indoor/outdoor dialog is also a tribute to Robert Smithson’s "Site/Non-Site.” Although, unlike Smithson, Zakai does not bring materials from the margins into the museum for observation. Instead, through the use of macro photography, she draws the viewers’ attention to the intimate details of nature – urging viewers to look closely before it is too late.

Dear Dr. Lim,

Our joint field research for the 1st week of my visit would be to :
1. getting to know the local surrounding; environmental problems/issues of the area, native plants verses invaders. current changes in the landscape. historical landscape verses today.For this - can you find historical maps of the area's landcape and contemporary ones and bring them along?, documentation of changes in plants' biodiversity?
2. Species We will walk in the territory that the organizers will give us, and look for & mark at least two kinds of :
Keystone species,
dominent species.
endengered and rae species
common species
colonize species
attractive plants ( color, shape)
Vulnerable species                                                                     3. Landscape: monitoring different lanscapes - forest, river, valley etc.What would be the most prefered landcape, for the people of the area, for ecologists?
Is the existing landscape is the wanted one or need some change?
Is there something in the landscape that we would like to draw attention to?
can we identify meetings between various landscape units?
Are there any small details in the landscape that will not exist within 5 years?, 50 years, 500 years??                                                 4. Management: what is the right one? less roads?, handling the upper water runing?, more/ less agriculture fields?, orchard?.
tree cutting policy- is it part of the landscape design?, forest roads? galdes?.
What are the pressures on the area?
Is the area as is sustain itself? or is one landscape unit changes into another ( small trees become bigger..)
do we need to do some cutting to keep the boidiversity of the area?5. Watershed: is there runing water?, are there curves in the river in the area? are the two banks looks the same?water quality, (from visual examine)? these are only thoughts and general guidline since I do not know the area myself.
Do you have other issues to consider?

At the end of our monitoring, we will choose the 7 most important items/details that we wish to show/draw attention to a future tourist in the area, and to the visitors of the Biennale from around the world. We shall also need to write a short summery of our field research. ( this part is our joint work).

On the second week my assistant/partner will arrive and install the7 units which will indicate those details.

On the third week I will photograph the selected details viewed through the metal units, and install them in indoor wooden units to be seen in the gallery. a certain connection between "indoor and outdoor "landscape Units" will appear - the Genius Loci of the area.. 17th of Aug. opening of the Biennale.

 

 

 

How might we recover a sense of place? 

How can we cause people to feel the intrinsic value of an open space, without the need to refer to function?

What can make us stop and look at nature as one looks at some very precious stones?

How can we fight against the homogenization of a landscape—against the pervasive daily blindness about environmental issues?

 

14 “Landscape Units”—7 outdoor and 7 indoor, offer new ideas and a walking path that inform perception and experience of a “sense of place” through biodiversity.

Especially fabricated to survive severe weather, the metal units were installed with care for minimal forest disruption. 

 

Eco-art project in collaboration with:

Eran Spitzer, Industrial Designer, Israel

Dr. Ho Sang Kang, ecological consultant 

Korea Forest research Institute, Division of Forest Ecology

 

SPONSORS

 Geum-gang Nature Art Biennale 2004

 

     Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs,

 Department of Culture and Science

 Israel National Lottery, the Council for the Arts

 

 

 

 

NATIVE PLANT  “Ja Seng Jong”

 

TREE NAME      Taxus cuspidate Siebold et Zucc.

 

FAMILY NAME   Taxaceae

 

ISSUES ADDRESSED

v  Does a right angle exist in Nature?

v  The native habitat of Taxus is distributed in high mountain areas from 700m to 2,500m above sea level where it can live more than 600 years and contain medicinal benefits, i.e. Taxol for anti-cancer.

How long will it survive here?

Will it produce Taxol here?

 

  

 

 

NATIVE PLANT  “Ja Seng Jong”

 

TREE NAMES         

Oak -- Quercus acutissima Carruther

Pine-- Pinus densiflora Siebold et Zucc.

 

Issues Addressed

v  Nature-Culture Border

v  Nature invades domestic Nature.

v  Mother Oak’s resprouting—a healthy sign.

 

  

 

 

NATIVE PLANT  “Ja Seng Jong”

TREE NAME      Carpinus laxiflora Bl.INTRODUCED SPECIES – Do-Ib-Jong

 

Issues Addressed

v  Healthy trunks (so called, muscle tree) are part of healthy biodiversity.

v  Removal of forest litter is one of the primary causes of disturbances in Korean forests.

v What are the social, ecological, and spiritual meanings of invasive/introduced species?

 

 

 

NATIVE PLANT  “Ja Seng Jong”

PLANT NAME    Pueraira thunbergiana BentFAMILY NAME  Leguminosae

 

ISSUES ADDRESSED

 

v  This plant is choking the maple tree (Acer mono), an important supplier of sap.  The maple tree will eventually die. 

v  Following forest management and anthropocentric approaches, it should be removed. Following ecocentric approach both plants are equally important.

v    Aesthetically its complexity raises interest and mystery.

v  Both plants have tumors or disturbances caused by insects.

 

 

NATIVE PLANT  “Ja Seng Jong”

TREE NAME            Kalopanax septemlobus (Thunb.) KoidzumiFAMILY NAME  Araliaceae

 

ISSUES ADDRESSED

v    Massive cutting due to the tree market value (at least $300 per mature tree).

v    Leaves are used for food and bark and branches are used for medical treatment for rheumatism.  Because the leaves grow high in the canopy, the entire tree is needlessly cut down.

v    Farmers want to cultivate it but it is difficult to domesticate.

v    Erosion exposes the roots. Under stress, the roots begin to sprout in the opposite direction.

v    Aesthetically the seven-finger leaf has a powerful presence.

 

Will it survive when the roots are above the leaves?

Will it survive human cutting for the leaves?

Will it survive human desire to use it as income source?

 

 

 

 

 

 

ISSUES ADDRESSED

v  Roads-roots junction:  Road construction exposed the roots of the trees nearby.

v  Erosion    ®accelerated by human action

®slowed down by trees

  

 

INTRODUCED SPECIES       Do-Ib-Jong

 

TREE NAME            Japanese Larch, Larix      kaempferi Carr.

 

ISSUES ADDRESSED

v  Forest management—Ecological Succession

v  Pines--Larches—Oaks—Soil??

The few remaining Larch trees indicate the story of forest succession.  In the last century Korean forests were denuded, leaving bare hills with bad soil condition.  Reforestation was accomplished by massive planting of pines and larches—trees that could survive harsh ecological conditions.  These trees enriched the soil, so now oaks can grow.   As the oaks succeed, the larches are fewer.