BUREAU OF CHANGE | Taking Care of Trees
We are what we see.
New Orleans, public art, institutional critique, education, civil rights, social justice, human rights, higher education, social practice, research based art, digital media, BUREAU of CHANGE, Margot Herster, documentary, New Orleans, collaborative media, social media, art, activism, photography, interactive, social media, Margot Herster, Margot Hester, Margaret, Herster, Hester, education not guaranteed, Louisiana
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TAKING CARE OF TREES
Taking Care of Trees was developed by BUREAU of CHANGE for the exhibition Restraining Order: The Art of Self-Control, commissioned by behavioral economist and NY Times best selling author Dan Areily and the Center for Advanced Hindsight at Duke University.
“A society is defined not only by what it creates, but by what it refuses to destroy.” —John Sawhill
BUREAU cleaned up fallen trees in the wake of Hurricane Isaac in search of lumber to make commodities. We transformed each quality specimen we found into a trendy homeware.
As we collected dead tree debris, we also scavenged New Orleans City Park and Long Vue Gardens to collect acorns. For each tree stump commodity we created from a dead tree, BUREAU of CHANGE cared for an acorn or seedling that would have otherwise been disposed of, to generate new life.
Our dead tree homeware products are each bundled with a fledgling oak sprout and a pair of photographs that document the origins of the trees – both the fallen tree and the new sprout. Buyers must commit to care for the sprouting oak tree that is paired with its homeware. The buyer should also demonstrate their commitment by periodically submitting to BUREAU of CHANGE photographs and texts charting the tree’s growth.
“In this project, the artists challenge the buyers of the art with a self-control exercise. With a purchase, the buyers not only receive a piece of beautiful art, but they get to contribute to the earth by raising a tree. But with this comes accountability, as the artists require ongoing proof that the tree is alive and well. But, how long will the warm glow last? Will the exchange be as rewarding after four or five years? Long after the art has been lost or broken, the buyer may feel less enthusiastic about caring for their seedling as the initial joy of goodwill fades and the responsibility sets in.” —Dan Ariely, Duke University Center for Advanced Hindsight
Taking Care of Trees, Origin of Stump Table, $300
Taking Care of Trees (oak seedlings, commodities, photos of original locations of commodity materials, marketing, price tags)
