Freddie Yauner concludes his annual homage to William Morris with OrchARd, a one-day performance using digital to reconnect people with nature.

In his eco-utopian novel ‘News from Nowhere’, William Morris describes fruit trees as a symbol of a more natural and sustainable way of life, transforming London from an urban metropolis into a rural ecosystem. Yauner translates this vision for the 21st century by merging modern technology and traditional pomology to turn Trafalgar Square into a virtual orchard. The physical trees grow near Lord Nelson’s place of birth in North Norfolk. Captured in their prime using an ultra-high resolution scanner, luscious plums are digitally replanted around Nelson’s column using geolocated Augmented Reality.

To attract visitors to OrchARd Freddie Yauner dresses as William Morris, carrying a board inspired by the ‘pick your own’ signs found along many country lanes. A QR code takes participants on a virtual discovery tour and invites them to identify the 47 varieties of heritage plums, damsons and gages that arrived at the orchard from across Europe and beyond. The sumptuous display of locally grown fruit stands in stark contrast to the ever decreasing diversity presented pre-packed on supermarket shelves.

OrchARd concides with William Morris’ birthday on 24 March and concludes this year’s Morris Quarter. Playing on his physical resemblance to William Morris, Freddie Yauner grows his ginger beard and curly hair for the first three months of each year to present work inspired by Morris’s artistic and social legacy. This year’s Morris Quarter is marked with an exhibition at David Parr House in Cambridge and a flag commission for Somerset House in London.

Freddie Yauner is a London-based artist who explores how the human drive for continual growth has impacted people and planet. Working across a multitude of disciplines and media his practice approaches complex ideas with proficiency and humour.

Taking inspiration from William Morris’ creative philosophies, his work is designed to change perspectives and has been presented to business leaders and Members of Parliament. He received recognition as one of Britain’s ‘New Radicals’ in 2012 and was included in the Guinness World Record in 2008.

Yauner completed his MA with distinction at the Royal College of Art in 2009 and has taught and lectured at the Royal College of Art, Goldsmiths and Central St Martins. His work has been widely exhibited, most recently at Salt Mills (Saltaire), David Parr House (Cambridge) and William Morris Gallery (London) as well as the Museum of Modern Art (New York) which is among the public and private collections to hold his work.