Future Tree 2.0

‘Future Tree’ is a speculative design installation that imagines a near future in which trees serve as living archives for vanishing ecosystems, designed by artist Vanessa Parada. Crafted entirely from reclaimed pallets and salvaged wood, the sculptural tree reflects principles of reuse, material responsibility, and environmental stewardship.

This presentation showcases the second version of ‘Future Tree’. The initial iteration was a purely sculptural piece; this new version integrates a solar-powered digital screen within the structure. The screen displays looping imagery of current fauna—species threatened, migrating, or at risk due to climate change and habitat loss—turning the tree into both a physical and digital vessel for ecological memory. Instead of relying on data visualization or didactic messages, ‘Future Tree’ employs slow, ambient motion and storytelling to evoke an emotional, accessible awareness of environmental change. The work encourages viewers to imagine a future where nature is preserved through documentation rather than direct experience.

Positioned at the crossroads of sustainability, speculative futures, and interactive design, ‘Future Tree’ explores how design can influence our ethical relationship with technology, ecology, and responsibility—particularly when preservation risks replacing action.