Monument to the Future is a site specific installation composed of braided twine and felled honeysuckle, arranged in a circular formation. Surrounding a central altar or vessel, the space will include benches to encourage gathering, reflection, and dialogue. This project aims to create a site of remembrance and forward thinking-a space that honors the future through collective critical inquiry and action.
Rooted in the recognition that invasive species are often a direct consequence of colonial processes, this installation questions dominant Western ecological frameworks. Specifically, it interrogates the violent and exclusionary language used to describe “invasive” versus “native” species. Drawing on Thomas Moore’s definition of ecology as “the spirit of home” and speaking as both an ecologist and a plant lover, Bianco challenges the rationale behind eradicating plants simply because they are seen as “out of place.” As an immigrant, she finds the parallels between this language and the rhetoric of displacement particularly troubling. Rather than discard these plants, Monument to the Future seeks to transform them into catalysts for dialogue and reflection.
Photo Gallery
Funding Contributed by:
Monument to the Future is on of the four art installations in Gallery in the Woods 2025. The guiding principle of the Gallery in the Woods 2025 program is to repurpose invasive species for installation, creating beauty and contemplation along Imago’s trails.
Julia Orquera Bianco
Julia Orquera Bianco was born in Argentina and lived in Mexico before moving to the United States in 2016. She earned a BFA from Universidad del Museo Social Argentino in 2012. In 2018 she graduated from the MFA program at Roski School of Art and Design, University of Southern California, Los Angeles. Bianco earned a Certificate on Sustainability from UCLA in 2020, was an intern in the Medicinal Plant Conservation Program at United Plant Savers in 2022, and earned a Certificate in Permaculture Design from Cincinnati Permaculture Institute in 2023.
Bianco interrogates Modern Western Culture, collective memory, and migration through the lens of a guest on the Land. Identity becomes an experience rather than a concept. Her work draws from her family and cultural heritage and from her practice with plants to craft stories where past, present, and place come together, redefining notions of belonging.
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Through our preservation of urban nature, our hands-on green workshops, and our education programs for youth, Imago is fostering an exciting, sustainable future that benefits us all.