The Amstelpark - the trees narrate their story focuses on the trees of this city park in Amsterdam. The trees, planted in 1972 on the occasion of the Floriade, are the silent witnesses to global warming.

This project uses science, law and art to investigate how the trees of the Amstelpark can be given a legal status and how this can contribute to an equal relationship and better protection of trees, forests and city parks. The project consists of a LivingLab in the Orangerie, the installation Parliament for Trees and resulted in Trial in the Park – the trees speak out on October 16, 2022. In this speculative lawsuit, we imagined a future in which these trees gain rights and hold local polluters accountable.

The Amstelpark – the trees narrate their story was part of the Shadow Floriade, a comprehensive public program developed by art institution Zone2Source to mark the 50th anniversary of the Amstelpark, Amsterdam, NL.

 

 

This project was generously supported by:

CLICK NL/SIA Regieorgaan, Amsterdam Fund for the Arts, Stadsdeel Zuid, Stichting Niemeijer Fonds, Iona Stichting, Houtzagerij Stadshout, the Amstelpark, Zone2Source and the DendroLab of Wageningen University & Research.