Nature in Absentia: Inversion – December 1 to January 10

Nature in Absentia: Inversion

A Site-Specific Installation by Michele Brody

Supported by funding from the Bronx Council on the Arts and the Puffin Foundation, Nature in Absentia: Inversion has been bringing together local youth, families, and community garden volunteers to create monumental handmade paper sculptures cast directly from the remains of fallen or dead native trees in and around The Bronx.  The finished installation will be exhibited at the Kingsbridge Historical Society’s Edgehill historic home, with an Opening Reception on Sunday, December 6, 2026, from 11 am – 4 pm, at 2570 Independence Ave in Spuyten Duyvil.

Rather than depicting trees as static monuments, Brody inverts them – suspending full-scale paper casts upside down above mirrored surfaces, exposing the unseen world beneath our feet.  Inspired by recent ecological research into mycorrhizal fungal networks and the “wood wide web,” the installation invites visitors to imagine the underground systems of roots, fungi, and microorganisms that allow forests to communicate, share nutrients, and survive collectively.  These interactions will be punctuated by a network of LED lights activated by a soundscape created by Sound Designer Bray Poor.

Created from handmade paper regenerated from invasive and non-native plant fibers—including phragmites and mulberry—the sculptures embody transformation. Materials often viewed as ecological burdens become delicate, luminous forms that speak to resilience, migration, and regeneration.

After the Opening Reception on Sunday, December 6, from 11 am – 4 pm, the exhibition is open to the public during Kingsbridge Historical Society office and cafe hours, which are:

Mondays and Tuesdays from 10:00 a.m.- 4:00 p.m
Thursdays from 9:00 a.m.- 12:00 p.m
https://kingsbridgehistoricalsociety.org/

Throughout the exhibition, a series of events and discussions will take place. These include:

A Holiday Art Fair featuring local artists on December 12 & 13 from 11 am – 4 pm,

an Artist Talk with well-known Bronx painter Daniel Hauben on January 3, 2027, at 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm, and a

Panel Discussion on the Art of Community Engagement on Thursday, January 7, from 7:00 – 9:00 pm with the following members:
Tracey O’Reilly – Community Engagement Grants Manager, Bronx Council on the Arts
Sara Kempton – Program Director: Environmental and Garden Education, Van Cortlandt Park Alliance
Sohhee Oh – Shared Dialogue, Shared Space Artist with the Korea Art Forum
Rejin Leys – Mixed media artist and founder of the PulpMobile
Michele Brody – – Community-based Environmental Installation Artist
Nicolás Dumit Estévez Raful Espejo Ovalles Morel Atrib – Social Practice Artist
Moderated by Carey Clarke – Public Art Consultant, The Point CDC

The Exhibition will culminate with a Closing Reception on Sunday, January 10, from 11:00 am – 4:00 pm.

All other visits are by appointment only; please contact Michele Brody at michele@michelebrody.com, 646-522-9924, or on Instagram @mbrody16 to arrange a time.

The exhibition is accessible by Public Transportation on the Metro-North Hudson River Line at the Spuyten Duyvil station, or by bus on the Bx10, Bx7, and BxM2.

Building upon Brody’s ongoing Nature in Absentia series, Inversion continues her investigation into disappearing ecosystems, biodiversity loss, and the changing urban landscape. Previous installations have recreated ghost-like forests, disappearing wetlands, and migratory habitats using handmade paper produced from locally gathered plant materials. Her work asks how communities might respond creatively to environmental change while fostering deeper connections between people and place.  Developed in partnership with the Van Cortlandt Park Alliance, whose environmental education and stewardship programs connect Bronx residents to one of New York City’s largest urban forests, the project celebrates both ecological knowledge and community care. More than an exhibition, Nature in Absentia: Inversion invites us to reconsider our relationship with the natural world—and to recognize that beneath every forest lies an intricate network of cooperation, interdependence, and resilience that mirrors our own communities.

About Michele Brody

Michele Brody is a Bronx-based environmental artist whose site-responsive installations transform locally gathered natural materials into immersive sculptures and handmade paper environments. For more than three decades, her interdisciplinary practice has explored ecology, migration, memory, and environmental justice through community collaboration, regenerative paper-making, sculpture, and social practice.

Project Partners and Sponsors

Van Cortlandt Park Alliance, Kingsbridge Historical Society, Bronx Council on the Arts, Puffin Foundation

This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the NYC Department of Youth and Community Development in partnership with the City Council. The Kingsbridge Historical Society’s programs are made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.