Special Installation | The Last Chair of the Forest and the Plastic Bottle
by Edwin Salas Acosta
Immerse yourself in a poignant virtual reality (VR) short film that delves into environmental consciousness and the delicate balance of nature. The Last Chair of the Forest and the Plastic Bottle transports viewers to the ancient Pisgah Forest, where the beauty of the last remaining tree is juxtaposed against the haunting presence of a plastic bottle. The narrative unfolds within a possible future, asking you to reflect on the environmental consequences of human actions and the urgency of conservation efforts. You are invited to sit in the Last Chair of the Forest and experience this work yourself.
This work is dedicated to Homero Gómez González, who lost his life in 2020 defending the monarch butterfly forests in Mexico.
About the Artist:
Edwin Salas Acosta is a McCullough Research Fellow at UNC Asheville. He is an artist with over two decades of experience in puppetry, theater, and dance. His performances have been showcased internationally, including in Italy, France, Spain, Switzerland, Poland, Mexico, Cuba, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Colombia, Ecuador, Belize, Guatemala, the United States, and Taiwan.
Edwin is the author of two books on puppetry and has received grants from the Mexican government for his work, including from the National Endowment for Culture and Arts. Currently, he is pursuing a degree in New Media with a minor in Computer Science at the University of North Carolina Asheville.
Generous support for this exhibition is provided by the McCullough Institute for Conservation, Land Use, and Environmental Resiliency, The New Media Department at UNC Asheville, and Art Bridges.
