Plant (Eugenia woodburyana)

Plant (Eugenia woodburyana), 2024. Cibachrome print, 33cm x 33cm. JPEG 4320 X 4320 pixels. Following the protocols of the blockchain that define a space protected from destruction, manipulation, and the passing of time, artist Debora Hirsch decided to bring back to life and preserve nearly extinct plants within the realm of AI and physical painting. These endangered species are recorded on the blockchain, granting them an eternal virtual existence, while serving as a symbolic memory of what we have lost and what we risk losing. Plants, frames, landscapes, architecture details and monolithic birds all together, aim at emphasizing the complexity of interconnections that belong to ecosystems while evoking the delicate equilibrium and transience of nature. EUGENIA WOODBURYANA Native: Puerto Rico (Southern). Assessment: Critically Endangered. Threats: Urbanization, agricultural and livestock expansion. Hurricanes and landslides. PLANT: Evergreen tree. A few plants are contained within three populations. Preservation efforts to enhance population stability and restore its natural habitat: protected areas and propagation in botanical gardens.