The Life Cycle of the Production Forest – Martha Kristensen
The Life Cycle of the Production Forest is an artistic project by Martha Kristensen that explores the forest’s natural cycle and humanity’s impact on nature. Through installations and visual expressions, the work highlights the interplay between managed forests, sustainability, and culture – a reflection on how our choices shape the landscape.
The Life Cycle of the Managed Forest
Martha Kristensen, April 3 – June 3, 2025
Between 2019 and 2022, Martha Kristensen worked continuously with the forest as her subject, delving into Swedish forestry and forest policy, partly by following the ongoing public debate.
Martha perceives a disharmony between general awareness of humanity’s impact on nature and the actual effects of that impact. Most people, for example, are familiar with the seasonal cycle of agriculture from sowing to harvest, yet many remain relatively unaware of how the coniferous forests covering large parts of the country are cultivated. At times, they are even mistaken for natural forests.
Reflections on this led to the idea of mapping the life cycle of the managed forest through an artistic investigation and documentation of the various stages of a monoculture forest, from planting to final felling. The result was the series The Life Cycle of the Managed Forest, comprising twenty mixed-media paintings.
Later, Martha received project funding from Smålandstriennalen and Konstfrämjandet Småland in 2024, enabling the work to become a publication. In the book, Martha engages in dialogue with Harald Säll, Senior Lecturer in Timber Science at Linnaeus University in Växjö and an experienced forest owner. His interpretation deepens the understanding of the work, drawing on both personal experience and current research.
From April 3 to June 3, 2025, The Life Cycle of the Managed Forest was exhibited at the University Library in Kalmar, with an opening on April 3.
