Survival of the Wollemi Pt 1 - Olmia Tenk

The survival of the Wollemi pine intact, from the depth of prehistory is truly a remarkable story.
Olmia Tenk’s whimsical installation at Treeline is based on an original story written by Olmia about Muttaburrasaurus, a herbivorous dinasoar that lived 200 million years ago and a Wollemi pine cone. While the Muttaburrasaurus became extinct about 60 million years ago, the Wollemi pine has survived to this day. It was only discovered in 1994 in what is now the Wollemi National Park in Australia. It is a very very special tree and a fitting subject for an artist’s attention.

The installation in the sky over the Treeline site is contained within a giant Wollemi pine cone.

The pages that form the story were originally bound into Second Life book in traditional format but have now become a true ‘artist book’ freed from the binding but still telling their story as the reader moves through the installation, walking inside the cone on Wollemi pine leaves, through rain, snow, fire, all the things the Wollemi has survived through the ages. Olmia has also produced the Wollemi story as machinima.

Olmia Tenk is currently completing a 'Master of Fine Art' by research candidature at Monash University, Australia and is using her experiences and work in Second Life as part of that process. She attended the opening of her exhibition at Treeline suitably attired and blending in perfectly with her installation.

In real life Olmia Tenk is Lily Tan.Olmia is coined from 'Wollemia Nobilis', the scientific name of the Wollemi pine.
You can read more about the Wollemi pine on the official Wollemi pine website at:
http://www.wollemipine.com/