Socrates Sculpture Park | Tree Office

Last week I presented you the Park Hack | TREExOFFICE. Do you know that the first one was in Manhattan?

Two years ago, the first TREExOFFICE was built in Socrates Sculpture Park at the East River.
Even if I prefer the design of the London’s TREExOFFICE, it’s interesting to discover why an office on a tree and why in a public space like a park.

The website Environmental Health Clinic answer about the question: Why a Tree Office?
“Historically, the capacity to own property has bestowed political agency, independence and even personhood to the property owner. “40 acres and a mule” were reparations granted to (and then re-seized from) freed slaves; a well known example of the suturing of recognition and territorial control. However, even today the capacity to own and inherit property diverges markedly with gender. If non-human organisms own property, will that change their explicit value in a market-based participatory democracy?
This transaction took place between 1820 and 1832. According to the newspaper article, the deed read:
I, W. H. Jackson, of the county of Clarke, of the one part, and the oak tree… of the county of Clarke, of the other part: Witnesseth, That the said W. H. Jackson for and in consideration of the great affection which he bears said tree, and his great desire to see it protected has conveyed, and by these presents do convey unto the said oak tree entire possession of itself and of all land within eight feet of it on all sides.

Under the new property ownership regime of UP2U urban plan trees can of course exploit their property for their own purposes. Moreover, trees assume personhood through the 14th amendment which is now assumed to grant personhood to corporations. Applying this to trees, by virtue of their shareholder and board status in the OOZ corporation, trees themselves become corporate/persons, or active agents–new citizens.
Further, the current technological opportunity transforms trees’ capacity to self-monitor and report, tweet, and account for their use by people and other organisms. They themselves account for the variety of uses and services they provide, and they themselves monetize these services, exploit their own assets, and capitalize on their capital. Using simple, inexpensive sensors the trees assume their own voice and capacity to exert corporate personhood within this new structure of ownership”. Environmental Health Clinic

Listen the words of the artist Natalie Jeremijenko to understand better the project and the goal of it.

Pics and video by Natalie Jeremijenko. All rights reserved.