Faux Faux

Faux Faux (Lobby Life) brings four artificial ficus trees to the Tang’s atrium. These fake plants are evocative of the plant life that often populates airports, hotel lobbies, shopping malls, and other public spaces. A closer look, however, reveals that each leaf has been meticulously cut into a square shape. By modifying the leaves, Benson accentuates the artificiality of the trees; in so doing, she creates a more authentic experience of the man-made space. Benson’s use of artificial plants in her work spans over a decade in which she reflects upon human destruction of the natural world and how we represent nature within the built environment.

Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website.