HOW MUCH WOOD WOULD A WOODCHUCK CHUCK IF A WOODCHUCK COULD CHUCK WOOD

Naslov / Title: How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood

Lokacija / Exhibition space: Galerija HEST 35, Ljubljana

Datum / Date: 12. – 27. November 2009

Produkcija / Production: Zavod za sodobne umetnosti in kulture Gulag

Producent / Producer: Jana Putrle Srdić

Pomoč in svetovanje / Support: Sandra Birjukov, Iztok Bobić, Marjetka Valjavec, Gio oblikovanje

Foto / Photo: Janez Draksler, Igor Modic and Sunčan Patrick Stone

This exhibition of wood sculptures was held in Galleria HEST in November 2009. The storyline of the exhibition (drawn on the invitation) is about cutting down the oldest tree on the world or finding some other way to destroy it – par example I will raise a 100.000 woodchucks and free them nearby this tree, so I guess at least one will start chucking it.

It is a sculptural exhibition and a model of the tree and the models of animals were constructed from linden wood – but they serve the purpose of idea to be carved out of the oldest tree. That way living and contemporary art is placed before nature wonders. This analogy can be drawn to human placing of development over nature. If funny wood sculptures which can even not be percieved as art in classical sense are ridicules to this idea, analogy stands as contemplation over human interventions with hybrid food, animal farm industry, defrostation and even cultural genocide.

Trivia: The oldest tree exist somewhere in the White Mountains of California, USA. It is approximately 4841 years old and it is the oldest known individual tree on the world. It was given a name Methuselah and it is a kind of Pine tree (Pinus longaeva). It looks very nice and sculptural.