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Flora and Fauna was Gharem’s contribution to the 8th Sharjah Biennale in 2007. It comprised of his photographic documentation of the 2007 performance in the centre of Abha. For this he wrapped in a sheet of plastic one of the Cornocarpus Erectus trees running down the main street and stepped inside this chrysalis where he could stay for many hours, surviving on the oxygen generated by the tree. It was a neat exploration of how man must exist in equilibrium with his environment.
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These trees, a regular sight in Abha, with their crowns clipped and rounded like scoops of pistachio ice-cream, were imported recently from Australia. Theywere known to stay green all year round and produce impressive amounts of oxygen, but the authorities did not predict the disastourous effect they would have on local flora and fauna. Unlike local trees the roots of the Cornocarpus Erectus run horizontally. The root-balls of local trees such run vertically and as a result many have died over the past decade. Gharem wanted to draw attention to this as well as question in a broader sense the role of technocrats in environmentally-sensitive urban design.
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"People thought I was crazy. But they wanted to know more. Their minds are not closed so they came over to ask about it. When they understood it, they liked it.’
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Gharem wanted to draw attention to the damage they were causing, as well as question in a broader sense the role of technocrats in environmentally-sensitive urban design.
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"What’s important are the lessons for the future. Our architects and planners need to consider the environment more carefully in their designs. Our technology needs to accelerate in this sense. We need a philosophical analysis of the relationship between the technological and the natural. You can see this especially when you look at our water situation. It’s not good. More and more of our wells are drying up so we need to conserve more water as well as pollute less.’
