Eva and Franco Mattes (a.k.a. 0100101110101101.ORG) reenacting Joseph Beuys’ "7000 Oaks" in a synthetic world
Beuys’ project begun on March the 16th 1982, at Documenta 7, in Kassel. His plan called for the planting of seven thousand trees, each paired with a columnar basalt stone. Beuys intended the Kassel project to be the first stage in an ongoing scheme of tree planting to be extended throughout the world as part of a global mission to effect environmental and social change.
The Mattes are reenacting Beuys’ work "7000 Oaks", staging the new performance in the synthetic world of Second Life. The first virtual tree and stone were planted on March the 16th 2007, exactly 25 years after the original oak was planted.
The 7000 basalt stones have been stacked on Mattes’ island in Second Life: Cosmos Island. The diminishing pile of virtual stones will indicate the progress of the project, which will go on until all 7000 oaks and stones will be placed. Second Life inhabitants will have the chance to take part to the performance, placing stones and trees in their lands.
This work is part of Eva and Franco Mattes series of "Synthetic Performances": reenactment of historical performances inside synthetic worlds where body, space and time can be completely reinvented. The series started at the beginning of 2007 and will feature works by artists like Vito Acconci and Marina Abramovic.
"Joseph Beuys’ 7000 Oaks" is commissioned by Centro de Arte Juan Ismael, Fuerteventura (Canary Islands, Spain), for the exhibition "Deambulatorios de una jornada, en el principio y el proyecto Tindaya", curated by Nilo Casares.
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