Basse Stittgen | Tree of Culture

Who thinks of cellulose fibers or a tree when holding a sheet of paper? And who actually knows lignin, the substance that holds the cellulose fibers together into that tree? In Tree of Culture, Basse Stittgen traces cellulose and lignin, the two most abundant organic polymers, back to when they formed that tree together. While one is used excessively, including in the paper and textile industries, the other remains largely unexplored or an underutilized by-product that is usually incinerated. With this project, Stittgen wants to evoke a connection between product and origin, and also point out the enormous possibilities of the material lignin.