To what extent is anthropomorphism a way to strengthen the connection between humans and trees, or an anthropocentric danger that makes it impossible to acquire objective knowledge? Exhibition A Tree, showcases research and works where artists explore the relationship between people and trees and ways in which we can relate more closely to their time span.
With works by:
Sanne Vaassen, Gerbrand Burger, Hira Nabi, Manjot Kaur, Ingela Ihrman, Goldin+Senneby, Alice Ladenburg + + Ollie Palmer, Roderick Hietbrink.
Image: Manjot Kaur - The Portrait of a Tree in a Jharokha
Exhibition
Plants make the world; they literally create soil, shape landscapes, and regulate the climate to some extent. They provide the production of oxygen, fuel, food, building materials, and shelter and form ecologies where all kinds of species come together and enter into symbioses. The exhibition A Tree, showcases research and works where artists explore the relationship between people and trees and ways in which we can relate more closely to their time span. To what extent is anthropomorphism a way to strengthen the connection between humans and trees or an anthropocentric danger that makes it impossible to acquire objective knowledge?
A Tree, is about vegetal agency, plant knowledge, and the interaction between plants and people, with a specific focus on trees. Forester and bestseller Peter Wohlleben says people often misunderstand trees, mainly because they are so slow. To put this into perspective, the concept of tree time is used. This concept refers to the experience of time that trees relate to. Some tree species, such as pines and Japanese cypress trees, can live up to 5,000-10,000 years.
Part of the climate disruption problem we face stems from people's inability to think and plan far ahead. Modern individualism is another part of this problem, in which the relationship to earlier and future generations and ancestors is lost. Several indigenous peoples avoid this by considering the seven generations before them and the seven generations to follow when making decisions. Trees can be a particularly valuable source of inspiration for thinking further in time and taking into account a complex ecology.
A Tree, is a research project commissioned by Onomatopee that through a multitude of forms activates its multipurpose project space, morphing the outcomes and exchanges between exhibition, public program, publication, and workshop with a myriad of actors.
Program line
A Tree, is also the first iteration of a five-year program, introducing a rich encounter of folklore and critical research titled A Tree, with a Bird, by a Woman, on Land, Under a Star, each curated by Marjolein van der Loo. The title contextualizes the project as a recipe or a spell with exit points that become chapters and grow into their own ecology of stories and actors. Together, they form a composition, like a tarot card that tells about the future and the past or an insight, warning, or recipe for now.
Publication
A Tree, A reader on arboreal kinship
The edited volume forms an ecology of artistic practices that share intimate and embodied, speculative and queer ways and observations of arboreal kinship ranging from poetry to song, drawing to recipe, and short story to essay.
With written contributions by:
Joss Allen, Céline Baumann, Bárbara Sánchez Barosso, Jorge Menna Barreto, Gerbrand Burger, Renée Bus, Lucy Davis, Amirio Freeman, Chihiro Geuzenbroek, Femke Habets, Roderick Hietbrink, Ingela Ihrman, Manjot Kaur, Mari Keski-Korsu, Alice Ladenburg, Marjolein van der Loo, Karen Lofgren, Hira Nabi, Frank Resseler, Anne Richter, Jerrold Saija, Oscar Salguero, Sanne Vaassen, Jonmar van Vlijmen, Müge Yilmaz.
Public program A Tree,
General opening hours
July 13 – September 20
Every Friday and Saturday between 12-5 PM
Exhibition opening:
July 12, 19:30–22:00 (doors open 19:00)
20:00 Performance by Renée Bus
Free entrance + free drinks
At Onomatopee
Screening Taming the Garden
At Arboretum Boomrijk, Eindhoven
Date to be announced
More info soon
Book launch and finissage
September 20, 19:30
Free entrance + free drinks
At Onomatopee
More info soon
'A Tree,' is generously supported by Mondriaan Fund.
