Deadwood
Bear Cache
Located at 49°55 North and 123°06 West in the backcountry of British Columbia, the bear cache sits atop a rocky outcrop on an isolated island.
This remote spot became the first gathering place for friends between lockdowns of the pandemic.
The bear cache allows foodstuffs to be hoisted up into a protective vessel away from the paws, claws and beaks of hungry woodland creatures. This enables campers extended stay in the area. It follows a long history of Indigenous and modern caches (French ‘cacher’ : to hide) in North America. Typically constructed to keep perishables 12' above the ground.
On one hand, the form of the Cache echoes the uneasy, contemporary malaise felt during the pandemic. It is inspired by the apocalyptic novels of H.G.Wells. But, its function subverts the dystopian aesthetic as a device that enables sustenance and communal gathering.
The main vessel is made of pine and cedar shingles, hiked into site and ferried to the island via SUP. While the legs are harvested on site from deadwood laid about the forest floor. Four tree trunks were stripped back, upturned to form legs and oiled to protect against the elements.
Eventually, the device will decay and be consumed back into the forest.
Expedition & Install Team:
Alice Audebert, Michelle De Jong, Sebastian Elliot, Nathan Hastle, Aitor Lahera, Giaone Matasci, Lucy Minyo, Luke 'discoverer' Peckham, Sarah Rosengard, Luana Simons, Phil Siwek, Brynn Staples, Richard Wong
