Palm Tree Studies in South Tyrol and Beyond

Artist’s book (2016)
English text
, 48 pages, 34×24 cm
Edition: 400 copies
Text: Nanna Debois Buhl in conversation with Otto Hüber, Joanna Banham, and Susanne Stacher
Design: Anni’s
Published by Humboldt Books
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A peculiar phenomenon of the Northern Italian city Merano is its large population of palm trees. The majority of the Merano palm trees belong to the species Trachycarpus fortunei, which was brought to Europe from East Asia in the 1830s. The first palms were planted in the city around 1880 as Merano was transforming into a health resort and a tourist destination. With her artists’ book Palm Tree Studies in South Tyrol and Beyond, Nanna Debois Buhl seeks to trace the palm trees’ botanical trajectories and symbolic dimensions.

The publication presents Buhl’s research through a collection of materials including conversations with the Merano-based botanist Otto Huber, design scholar specializing in 19^th century wallpapers Joanna Banham, and architect Susanne Stacher, who specializes in alpine architecture, as well as photos and photograms by the artist, historic postcards and tourist posters of Merano, and botanical images of palm trees. Through this diverse material, the publication examines the “cultural biography” of the palm tree in Merano and elaborates on the incorporation of this exotic element in 19^th century design and garden culture in the region and on a larger scale.

The book is produced alongside the public art work Palm Tree Studies in South Tyrol and Beyond on the occasion of the exhibition Art & Nature 2016 Walking with Senses.