The Nerve tree and Nerve root were commissioned in conjunction to the expansion of Ljungfälleskolan primary school in Växjö, Sweden. The installation consists of two sculptures:
At the entrance to the school area stands a nerve tree made out of fibreglass enforced polyester with integrated side slow fibre optics and LED light, approximately 340 cm high. With its green coloured light, it signals the entrance to the school from a far during the dark winter mornings.
The Nerve root has been placed in the playground. It is made from terrazzo polished white concrete with crushed marble and has fibre optic lights points in the outcrops and in the gap between the two forms. The diameter of the sculpture’s two parts spans 390 cm. It is centrally placed in the playground where it creates a meeting place.
During childhood our brain cells develop intensely. New synapsis are created every second. During life the brain continues to develop through new experiences, knowledge growth, physical activity, and can be regenerated after injury.
The Nerve tree and Nerve root is a scientific poem that attempts to interpret signal transmissions and electrical impulses of the brain while also conveying a feeling of energy: something is happening here!