Talking Trees

This is an archive of an ongoing project, a series of site-specific audio plays created for particular trees and shrubs, which is loosely based on the old Irish beth-luis-nion (birch-rowan-ash-) alphabet. The short monologues are recorded in a soft voice, to be listened with headphones or earphones. The sounds on site provide the acoustic accompaniment. So far the following trees have had their say:

Birch, Rowan, Ash, Alder, Sycamore (2003) Art Path on Harakka

Oak, Sycamore, Linden, Pine, Spruce (2004) Trees Talk at ANTI-festival

Willow (2006) Willow Talk

Apple (2008) Apple Tree

Hawthorn (2010) In the Shadow of the Hawthorn

Hazel (2016) Hazel 

The talking trees have appeared as sound installations, nonstop miniature audio plays or recorded monologues written, performed and recorded by AA (most of them only in Finnish) in the following contexts:

The Hazel. (Pähkinä - Nöt - Nut) Tri-lingual monologue  FIN, SWE, EN. Duration à 11-12 min. Hidden Art environmental exhibition i Pori, Finland at the location N61*29.515,EO21*48.001  13.5.-31.8.2016 See presentation of exhibition, catalogue

In the Shadow of a Hawthorn. Tri-lingual site-specific sound installation FIN, SWE, EN. Duration 4 x 5 min. Living Room 306, 4 km2 –festival Turku 2.-5.6.2010. See presentation and festival website

 
Omenapuu [Apple Tree] Site-specific audio play. FIN. Duration 30 min. Hiidentie/Taiteen tiet, environmental art exhibition, Salo area 5.6.-6.9. 2008.
 
Pajun Puhetta [Willow talk]. Site-specific audio play in two parts FIN. Duration 5 min. Tuntematon Töölö [Unknown Töölö] –exhibition. Helsinki 25.-29.4.2006.
 
Puut Puhuvat [Trees Talk]. Site-specific audio plays (monologues). FIN. Duration 5 x 4 min. Minna’s Park, ANTI – Contemporary Art Festival, Kuopio 16.-19.9. 2004. See festival website 
 
Puut Puhuvat [Trees Talk]. Site-specific audio plays (monologues). FIN. Duration 5 x 4-6 min. Reviiri –exhibition on Harakka Island 3.7.-14.9. 2003. See presentation.

These works are discussed in English in chapter 7 "Performing Landscape and Agency - Trees Talk" (pp 181 -214, pdf below) in Performing Landscape - Notes on Site-specific Work and Artistic Research. Texts 2001-2011. Acta Scenica 28. Theatre Academy Helsinki 2012. Available here.