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Pine Bark Hut, the first project in a new series called 'Farm Art’, is a collaboration between Robert Pettersson, a farmer in Grödinge, Sweden and the architect/artist Ulf Mejergren. The unusual art duo have collaborated for a year and will build various projects on the farmers’ land with techniques using Petterson’s agricultural expertise and the creative intentions of the artist. When inspecting the farmer’s land together for inspiration, the duo entered a clear-cut where the farmer had cut down a lot of trees last year that he was planning to sell to a local sawmill. Some of the felled trees, mostly pine, were left behind and laid in a piled stack next to a dirt road, waiting for a future delivery to the mill. The trees had dried which had loosened big chunks of bark that could easily be removed. All tree species have different types of bark, some have thin and smooth bark like the birch for example, while others like the pine tree have rough and scaly bark with a very three-dimensional texture. They decided that it was time to make a Pine Bark Hut. As a first collaborative work, the farmer already had done a lot of the preparatory labour without knowing it since this amount of bark would be almost impossible (and of course not very appropriate) to get from living trees. Each chunk of bark is quite heavy, so the duo had to come up with a structure that could withstand the weight. A comfortable distance from the timber they found three pine trees just next to the clear-cut that stood quite close to each other, forming a triangle. Between the trees they made three simple walls consisting of studs and plywood, without touching the actual trees. Then they secured the walls to one another with additional studs and cut a hole for the entrance. After the walls were done they collected the loose bark from the trunks and put them on the ground like a giant puzzle to assure they would get the right look before screwing them into the plywood sheets on both sides. The rough looking façades blend almost seamlessly into the three live pine trees, making them fuse into an entity, a super trunk in a way. The hut blends so well into the forest that the farmer has plans to use it as a hunting spot since it also has great views over the clear-cut where moose and boar wander occasionally. As for now though, it's on to creating a tool shed for their next project. Where: Grödinge, Sweden When: 30 Nov 2022 Credit: Ulf Mejergren/UM Architects/Cover Images **EDITORIAL USE ONLY. MATERIALS ONLY TO BE USED IN CONJUNCTION WITH EDITORIAL STORY. THE USE OF THESE MATERIALS FOR ADVERTISING, MARKETING OR ANY OTHER COMMERCIAL PURPOSE IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED. MATERIAL COPYRIGHT REMAINS WITH STATED SUPPLIER.**