Who Is Grieving When A Tree Dies?

2024
Two-channels video installation with environment.
Living Plant producing real-time sounds, color, full HD, stereo sound.
9:07 minutes.
Dimensions variable.

By Nedia Boutouchent and Jiyan Céline Schmidiger
Guitar by Stefano Mauriello
Mentored by Salvatore Vitale and Thomas Knüsel

Exhibited at:
April 2024
Lucerne University of Applied Sciences
and Arts Lucerne School of Design, Film and Art

August 2024
Goetheanum in collaboration with Steinbeisser Creative Studio

Since the advent of industrialisation in the Western world, humanity has often asserted its dominance over nature, placing itself in a superior position and thereby disconnecting from its natural essence. Who is Grieving When a Tree Dies?embodies a philosophical perspective aimed at re-evaluating and reshaping our interactions, perceiving ourselves as integral parts of nature. The project challenges anthropocentric worldviews, opening up the possibility of nature as a conscious entity with its own inherent right to exist.

Presented as a video and sound installation, the project invites the audience to delve into perceiving our organic surroundings in an extended sense. It offers access to the mystical realm of organic souls, situated somewhere between our physical reality and a narrative that probes the value and objectivity of non-human organic entities.

As this discourse unfolds, inquiries emerge. Where do we position ourselves in relation to the world? Is there always a dominant force, or can equality prevail? By challenging established paradigms, the project strives to foster a deeper appreciation of the inherent worth of nature.

Philosopher Andreas Weber accompanies the project in thought, aiding in comprehending, questioning, reshaping, and reinforcing our own understanding and connection with our environment. His thinking revolves around the concept of ‘enlivenment’, emphasising the interconnectedness of all living systems. He advocates for a transition from a mechanistic worldview to one that acknowledges the agency and subjectivity of non-human entities. Weber’s scholarship confronts conventional anthropocentric viewpoints and advocates for a more interconnected and ecological way of life.