Host Analog, Environmental sculpture at Oregon Convention Center, Portland, US
Host Analog is an outdoor sculpture at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland featuring an 8-foot-diameter Douglas fir log. An integrated stainless steel irrigation system mists the wood regularly to support plant growth and natural processes.
The Douglas fir used came from a tree that fell during the 1960s and lay in a watershed for decades before the artist found it in 1990. The sculpture was installed in 1991 as a way to give the ancient wood a new purpose in an urban setting.
The work demonstrates how urban spaces can support forest ecosystems by watching plants grow and change around the log. You can see how nature adapts and thrives in the middle of the city.
The sculpture sits near the convention center's main entrance and is easy to reach on foot. Informational signs along the installation explain how the plants and ecosystem have developed over time.
The installation includes a nine-year visual record showing plant growth and changes around the log captured in photographs. This documented progression allows visitors to see years of natural transformation displayed side by side.
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