Periscopic Tree is a site-specific installation at the Marsh Botanical Gardens, opening in Fall 2026.
Periscoping transforms the trunk of a deceased white oak (Quercus alba) tree into a viewing device, allowing viewers to see both inside and beyond the ancient tree simultaneously. The work consists of two large vertical slits on either side of the tree trunk. By looking through the slits, the observer’s sight is manipulated through two mirrors, producing an unexpected effect: one can both see inside of the tree and beyond it (or at another participant peering through the other end).
This distortion of one’s sense-perception hints at our human limitations, and encourages viewers to reconsider their place in the natural and geologic timeline.
Erica Wessman holds a Sculpture MFA from the Yale School of Art and has taught at CalArts, University of Madison, Pratt, NYU, Williams College, Trinity College and Wesleyan University. Wessman’s work uses participatory encounters as a medium to challenge our presuppositions about objects and ourselves.