The “Washington” series on the first floor shifts focus to Los Angeles, where palm trees — once iconic symbols of the Californian dream — now stand as silent witnesses to a fading era.

These trees, originally imported by Spanish missionaries for their religious significance and later mass-planted to shape the city’s idyllic image, are now in decline due to aging and environmental pressures, including water scarcity and rising temperatures. As their century-long lifespans come to an end, they will not be replanted, given their minimal shade and their contribution to pollution under extreme heat. When temperatures rise, palms release volatile organic compounds, which, when combined with hydrocarbon residues, produce aerosol pollution. Gross collected these hydrocarbon residues from the streets of LA and integrated them into his developing process.

The series culminates in a haunting image of a lone palm in the desert, engulfed in the aftermath of a fire—a powerful symbol of California’s wildfires and the broader climate crisis, further highlighting the tree’s demise.

A black-and-white wallpaper of the first San Fernando Mission palms contrasts sharply with photographs taken in Elysian Park, a historic public space in downtown Los Angeles. These images of the park’s palm trees subtly evoke the religious significance of the Hollywood cross and the original missionary intentions. The series explores how cultural symbols evolve over time, shaped by biological, climatic, and sociological forces.

The “Washington” series is part of a wider project called “Greetings” which unfolds across distinct chapters, each named after a species of palm tree. This thought-provoking showcase uses the palm tree — once a beacon of prosperity and exoticism — as a prism through which to examine the paradoxes of our globalized world. Gross unveils how these iconic plants mirror humanity, reflecting environmental challenges, biodiversity loss, and the shifting sands of society.