Acer palmatum ‘Atropurpureum’

2023

This installation features seven LED lights embedded in a Japanese maple tree, each flashing in Morse code. The code conveys fragmented messages that hint at the tragic fate of a shipwrecked crew stranded between the Canary Islands and Morocco.

This story has been passed down to me through many retellings during my childhood. Since my father’s passing, however, the narrative has evolved—new chapters and details have emerged, blending my own imagination with the recollections of other crew members. The photographs from the ship’s past voyages intermingle with my memories, creating a complex image of a distant place and the vast, uncharted waters that separate it from home.

Acer palmatum ‘Atropurpureum’, commonly known as the Japanese maple, is characterized by its deep red foliage. It is widely planted as an ornamental tree in southern Sweden, though it is native to Japan, Korea, eastern Mongolia, China, and southeastern Russia. Belonging to the Sapindaceae family of Chinese tree plants, its delicate presence adds an evocative, living element to the piece, beeing installed in Stockholm, Sweden.