"I would like to talk about how this project came to be. My neighbor had the most beautiful cherry blossom that I have ever seen. It was tall, with a strong trunk thicker than a grown man. Its dense branches would be heavy with cotton candy-like flowers every spring. The scene was majestic. It was not in my yard, but it was a pleasure to look at every time I came and went from my home. One day the tree disappeared. I could not believe my eyes. I assumed the tree was sold. No, I hoped it was because I hope the tree was worth something.
Alas, I saw the tree trunk from over the fence. The tree was chopped clean. It was not sold off after all. The house looked empty and sad. I found out that the tree was pushing against the wall between the housings and that it was creating cracks. The owner of the house had chosen to cut down the tree. I was very shocked.
Here you see the tree recreated with plastic, a man-made material that is everywhere. (Part of the tree is made of upcycled materials such as straws.) This is my way of mourning and celebrating that great cherry blossom tree. This is a plea to us humans to stop being so selfish. If we don't change our ways, artificial trees may be the only trees we have to admire someday in the future.
This video is a ceremony for the tree where a hamadryad, a tree nymph from the greek mythology is created and destroyed with a tree. The performer incarnates the spirit of the tree while she tries to sooth it and pray for nature.
“The Last Unflowering Tree" was part of an exhibition at Museum 1 (Museum Dah) in Busan, South Korea, entitled "Technique of Healing" in 2023.
Performer: Hyeonmi Park
