Forests are the earth’s green lungs, as they absorb nearly 16 billion metric tonnes of carbon dioxide per year. Unfortunately, this vital function has made forests into tradable assets for major greenhouse gas emitters. The logic: a ton of emissions can be easily offset by protecting or planting trees that naturally sequester a ton of carbon over a specific period. Kiki Astner critically examines the effectiveness of this ‘ton for ton’ method. She proposes an alternative conservation strategy based on scientific monitoring. In support of Austria’s approximately 140,000 small forest owners, she composed a ‘Yellow Pages’ book with contact details of people who can provide information on forest-related funding, education and counselling. Planned to be distributed through communities to act as an intermediary, it aims to foster a collective sense of decision-making through conversation.
Yellow Pages for forest conservation across communities in Austria
The craft of processing deerskin is practiced by just a handful of people in Austria and Bavaria. Kiki Astner researched the history, origin, and use of the material obtained from uniquely scarred skins of hunted game. The project shifts focus to ‘der Säckler’, a tailor who has been producing Lederhosen, traditional Austro-German leather breeches, for centuries. By recovering the unique production steps of this traditional craft, she explores how to breathe new life into the damaged skins, using artisanal heritage and crafts for a contemporary aesthetic.
