Trees, we breathe

Organized as part of Wave Hill’s 60th Anniversary as a public garden and cultural center, the group exhibition Trees, we breathe honors trees in all their splendor. The exhibition features works by Sarah Ahmad, Andrea Bowers, Sari Carel, Michelle Frick, Ben Gould, Sara Jimenez, Weihui Lu, Julia Oldham, Yoko Ono, Yeseul Song and Jesse Simpson, Rose B. Simpson, Rachel Sussman, Carlie Trosclair, and Sam Van Aken, who take up a variety of tree species and media, including sculpture, sound, drawing, site-responsive installation, video, and living artwork. Mining deep time, revisiting the ancient past and glimpsing into the speculative future, the artists in the exhibition consider the full extent of trees’ unique independence and symbiotic abilities beyond our often-anthropocentric view of the forest ecosystem.

Pillars of ecological balance, trees are vital to all life on Earth. In addition to providing the air that we breathe, trees sustain communities beneath their soil, provide habitats for wildlife, filter the water we drink, and even help calm our minds and promote our physical and mental wellbeing. Trees also practice self-preservation and can teach us a great deal about mutual care. If we allow ourselves to expand our understanding of animate life, we may come to recognize ourselves as entangled in the community of trees and to consider trees as sentient actors who have dignity, are able to make decisions, and deserve our respect beyond a relationship based on use value. For example, trees collect memories that inform their future responses to environmental change and stress; they can also communicate with each other and relocate themselves over time. Rather than seeing our role as keepers of trees that we alone grow, prune, own or exploit, this exhibition advocates for understanding this relationship of care as symbiotic. Yet, trees are often victims of climate change, deforestation, development, and vandalism, as well as pests and disease. Furthermore, trees are unequally distributed, resulting in urban forest inequity. The artists in the exhibition Trees, we breathe prudently consider and honor the ways in which these stalwart beings care for many organisms, including humans, while recognizing our own roles in their destruction and survival.

Wave Hill has some of the most notable trees in New York City, including the red oak (Quercus rubra) behind Glyndor Gallery, which dates back before 1850; the grand copper beech trees (Fagus sylvatica 'Atropurpurea'), which dazzle visitors with their massive trunks and root systems; and the dawn redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides), which even survived a lightning strike. As we acknowledge Wave Hill’s anniversary milestone, we are continuing our obligation to not only ensure the longevity of these existing trees but also plant new trees for future generations to enjoy.

Trees, we breathe is organized by Gabriel de Guzman, Director of Arts and Chief Curator; Rachel Raphaela Gugelberger, Curator of Visual Arts, and Afriti Bankwalla, Curatorial Administrative Assistant.