The Tree of Life: How Do We Read Signs We Cannot Understand? Activation of Mona Vatamanu & Florin Tudor’s Tree of Life with Reem Al Nasser

Referring to Vǎtǎmanu & Tudor’s idea of a school under a tree, the various kilims and woven rugs spread across an elevated platform invite visitors to sit and rest. Collected from different regions of the Balkans and Central and Western Asia, the rugs share a distinct iconography present in many cultures and geographies throughout time, the archaic motif of the “tree of life.” They are brought together to create a space for reflection at the meeting point of different cultures and historical experiences. 

In her talk Blue Cross, Saudi artist Reem Al Nasser, whose work Blue Windows (2022) is exhibited in B5, takes climate change, the rights of nature, and the potential of renewal as a starting point for discussion. She will share her methodologies and processes as well as the use of natural materials in her work.