Assemble and Local Works Studio, Fleeting Forest, 2023/24

Fleeting Forest, the 2023/24 winter art installation at Granary Square, King’s Cross, was designed by Assemble and Local Works Studio in collaboration with Webb Yates Engineers, Studio Dekka, Aswarm, and Cameron Bray. The installation brought together an assemblage of trees, passing through on their way to permanent homes in public parks, community gardens and schools. Embracing the seasonality of the winter woodland – bare branches, fallen leaves, berries and damp earth – the new square within a square offered an alternative to the traditional cut and decorated Christmas tree. At its heart, the project was an exploration of how a temporary installation can positively impact communities and environments beyond its confines through the sensitive gathering and dispersal of materials.