This photograph comes from an ongoing project, titled ‘Mark of Death’ , surrounding the infestation of Borkenkäfer (Bark beetle) in the Rhineland-Palatine area of Germany which has seen their Spruce tree population devastated in the past 7 years. It is reported that Germany has lost over 300,000 hectares of forest since 2018 from this drought instigated infestation.
Whilst this project can be viewed as having a negative theme, this photo alone stands on its own. This shows a spruce tree in an area where all others have fallen yet it stands, marked with heart on its bark caused by these beetles. Almost as if it was a message of resilience to the rest of the world. This is why I have chosen to add the question mark to the title to distinguish itself from the rest of the project. This tree represents hope in the face of devastation which i think beautifully aligns with the themes within this open call.
