December 3 or 5, noon – 2:00pm, via Zoom
Edwin Salas Acosta
Dr. Victoria Bradbury
McCullough Fellowship: Department of New Media
The Last Chair of the Forest and the Plastic Bottle is an innovative virtual reality (VR) project created by Edwin Salas Acosta, in collaboration with the Asheville Art Museum and VR expert Dr. Victoria Bradbury. This immersive experience invites users to engage
with the beauty and fragility of Asheville’s forests, using a symbolic “last chair” to represent the vulnerability of the local ecosystem. Through this project, participants experience firsthand the impact of deforestation and the growing threat of plastic pollution on the environment. The project seamlessly integrates art, environmental
science, and technology to raise awareness of these pressing global issues. By exploring Asheville’s forest ecosystem, the project highlights the essential role of local tree species in both ecology and the timber industry, while also addressing the global environmental challenge posed by plastic waste. The design of the chair itself
incorporates sustainable principles, ensuring its symbolic value is also practically applicable in promoting eco-friendly design solutions. As a powerful conclusion, recent climate events like the flooding caused by Hurricane Helene underscore the urgent
need for collective action to address both environmental degradation and the overwhelming use of plastic. While the VR project offers an immersive experience, it is ultimately a call for action, asking audiences to reflect on their role in preserving not only Asheville’s forests but also the health of the planet. This project is a unique opportunity to explore how art and technology can come together to inspire real change, inviting audiences to think critically about their environmental impact and take steps toward a more sustainable future.