Reciprocity Forest is an Augmented Reality app by artist Joanna Sperryn-Jones. It was commissioned by Metal and Forestry England to be experienced at Chalkwell Park as part of Metals NetPark in Southend on Sea in Essex, and at Dalby Forest in North Yorkshire. For those who cant visit either location, an offsite version is accessible in the app.
There are 3 parts to Reciprocity Forest:
Part 1 - Choose one of many tree locations in Chalkwell Park or Dalby Forest to find out more about trees and our relationship to them. At each location, you gain a virtual leaf.
Part 2 - Design your virtual leaf. Choose colours and paint the leaf to reflect how you are feeling.
Part 3 - Visit the Reciprocity Forest to add your leaf to a virtual tree. You can explore the Forest and find other people’s leaves alongside your own. As the trees grow over time you will be able to see the changing moods of the community.
Reciprocity Forest was created in a partnership among Forestry England, Metal and the Universities of Kent and Essex, enabled through a grant from EIRA.
Joanna Sperryn-Jones is a sculptor, writer and arts organiser who completed her degree and PhD in Sculpture at Norwich University College of the Arts. She is Lecturer in Fine Art at Coventry University. She has exhibited in the UK and internationally and has published several book chapters and expositions on breaking, artistic research, sculpture and risk-taking in art and extreme sports.