LATERNA // CoSA - Tree Talks (2018 -2022)
Tree Talks is a practice that was part of CoSA.
From 2018-2022 through all four seasons, the Tree Talks project visited four old, prominent and venerable city trees in Oslo. The tallest trees towering the urban landscape were planted over 200 years ago. They have seen the city change and grow, in parallel to their own roots.Through meditation and other methods to awaken the sensuous, we spent time and entered dialogue with each tree.
LATERNA invited four other artists, one for each tree, to join the practice; Terje Tjøme Mossige, Fernanda Branco, Pernille Bønkan and Ingvild Langgård/Margrethe Pettersen. In addition, Sara Rönnbäck and Daniel Slåttnes were involved in meeting all four trees throughout the period, as well as Per Platou and Ulrik Ibsen Thorsrud who came in at a later stage when realising our artistic responses. Based on the ‘conversations’ with each tree, we developed responses in the form of performative work that we invited audience along to experience.
LATERNA seeks out to find alternative entering points to choreography. Tree Talks strived to allow something to occur – rather than focusing on producing. Together we listen into what is present and experience a different spending of time.
During three weeks in September 2020 LATERNA, Terje Tjøme Mossige and Fernanda Branco shared the practice with the old Copper Beech at Our Saviour’s Cemetery in Oslo - and again - in June 2021 another 12 sharings of the practice with the Copper Beech were shared.
June 10th-13th 2021 Pernille Bønkan, Per Platou and LATERNA in collaboration shared ‘Tree Talks Linden - Minneparken’ in Ruinparken.
September 26th 2021 Fernanda Branco, Ulrik Ibsen Thorsrud and LATERNA in collaboration invited to a happening - Valnøttreet in Sofienbergparken.
June 21st LATERNA and Margrethe Pettersen shared "The Maple Tree - Lønnetreet" as the opening performance of LATERNA´s 5-days festival Hidden Connections - Visible Ecologies at Black Box teater in Oslo.