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I Would Rather Speak To The Trees

Installation/video/performance, 2017 

 In the corner of the gallery lies a cut down tree, a type of pine tree which has the specific triangle shape recognizable as the Norwegian pine. Sitting on the floor propped up against this felled tree lies a video screen. Head phones attached to the screen sit upon a cut log which is also placed on its side. We realize that way can sit on this log to view the video playing on the screen. The video begins, a well maintained but still unkept forest is the first scene that greets us, A man walks into shot dressed in a suit jacket and smart white shirt he seems a bit out of place in this wooded environment. The man turns to face screen right and speaks “hello trees” he opens “I have been researching how you communicate with one another”. He states how he has learned about the mycelium root network and how trees “use” this network “to talk to each other and share information”, “is this true?” he asks, “would you like to speak with me?”, He awaits a response from the trees. What follows over 5 scenes is more attempts by this protagonist to form some kind of dialogue or to engage in a conversation with the trees. 

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