Walking through the heart of Pioneer Square, pedestrian eyes may be drawn to the bright, colorful lighting of Gallery 4Culture’s current exhibit “TIMBER!” by Seattle-based artist James Hartunian. Upon entry, visitors are transported into a futuristic world combining nature and technology. Exposed wires trail from the ceiling and travel across the floor connecting each piece to each other and the building around them.

“People have been really curious from off the street in a different way than other shows we’ve done, just because they enjoy the lights and everything like that,” 4Culture Front Desk Receptionist and Local Artist Ana Sneed said. “I feel like it catches a lot of attention just because it’s such a sensitive show.”

Positioned near the entrance are two eye-catching pieces that set the tone for the rest of the exhibit. Two piles of dirt and grass sit on the gallery floor covered by complex, mandala-esque wire shapes forming a cage above them. These cages hang centimeters from the floor, suspended by thick electrical cords coming from the ceiling. As the cages float and slowly spin, harsh LED lighting shines down on the grass revealing moldy roots and sparse green blades fighting against a sea of beige and brown.

These themes of artificiality continue throughout the exhibit. One wall at the back of the gallery invites the viewer to sit on a park bench made of plastic grass and watch the measured, robotic movement of electric candles on motorized tracks. From a distance, these lights resemble fireflies.

“There came a point where I was looking at the Firefly exhibit and noticed this, like, whirring noise. The sound was almost eerie, and I was like, is this what our future’s gonna be like?”  Via Tay, a first-year accounting major said. 

The final piece in the gallery serves as the exhibit’s namesake and begins with interaction from the viewer. A large, neon green button with the words “Press Button To Activate” sits at the center of the exhibit. No context or warnings are present, and it’s unclear what the button is connected to.

“It was a giant, glowy, green button that said “Press me” in a big ol’ bold font,” Third-year Psychology Major Anai Quintanilla described. “I didn’t really think much about what it would do exactly, I was just hoping it would be cool or entertaining.”

After Quintanilla pressed the button, a machine in the corner of the gallery whirred to life. A pine tree, similar to what one would find at a Christmas tree lot, rose from where it lay prone on the ground until it stood upright as it would in nature. Then, it was lowered slowly back to the ground. Over and over again the tree rose and fell, the process moving at a torturously slow pace. Each time the tree rose it revealed how flattened half of its branches had become from the month it had spent being smashed repeatedly into the ground.

“At first I was disappointed that all it did was move the tree,” Quintanilla said. “Then, when it kept going, it just made me sad.”

Quintanilla and the other visitors they were with attempted to stop the process by pressing the button again, but to no avail. The repetitive thumping of the tree falling echoed throughout the gallery as long as there were visitors inside, perhaps even longer.

“At first, I didn’t even notice that there was a button,” Tay said. “I was like, ‘Oh, what caused this?’ And then, looking at it, I was just like, whoa. It really clicked for me that this is our fault. We are the reason why this tree is going down. The more the whole group played around, the more discussion we did, the more it made sense. It feels more relevant than ever, because so many people are just apathetic about nature.”

TIMBER! aims to spark conversation around the interaction of nature and technology, a common theme in Hartunian’s work. It serves as one of Hartunian’s largest physical exhibits.

“The artist is showing in a larger way than what he’s communicated he’s used to, so it’s exciting to see him expand,” Sneed said. 

Providing opportunities for expansion to local artists is one of the core ideals of 4Culture. 

“Our goal is essentially to put money in the hands of arts or heritage preservation science orgs and individuals that are just creating a rich and vibrant culture for people here,” Sneed elaborated.

James Hartunian’s exhibit TIMBER! can be seen for free at Gallery 4Culture in Pioneer Square until Jan. 30.