Wandering Breath
2018
Eucalyptus breath, glas object, steel rods,
Approx. 120 cm x 40 cm x 30 cm

The fast-growing eucalyptus tree has long been cultivated outside its native Australia to meet global demand in the wood and paper industries. However, large-scale plantations of eucalyptus bring significant challenges: its extreme water requirements often lead to alarming drops in groundwater levels, and its leaves remain largely unused, as only the native Australian koala can digest them. As a result, the tree’s »immigration« is viewed critically in many regions.
Despite this, eucalyptus essential oil is widely valued for its ability to alleviate respiratory problems. In the installation Wandering Breath, a glass vessel shaped like a human lung was filled in a Berlin laboratory with the artist’s breath, exhaled after consuming eucalyptus-based products such as cough drops and respiratory spray. The sealed vessel, appearing exhausted after its journey, symbolically brought foreign breath as a guest — and eucalyptus — back to its origins. The artwork’s transient nature culminated unexpectedly when the glass lung was shattered by a cleaner, an act inadvertently captured by the gallery’s security camera, completing the narrative of fragility and return.