For the Glory of the Nation, 2017

Pine tree and Jewish National Fund tree certificate

Dimensions variable

 

“For the glory of the nation, a tree has been planted on your daughter's behalf”

A hidden memory is stored in a couple of inanimate objects, bridging a deep narrative that involves many invisible layers of control. A small pine tree removed from its context, becomes a symbol of geographical claim, no longer being appropriated as nature. The work questions fundamental issues of colonization and the restructuring of the landscape as a form of propaganda. It is emblematic of a strategy of reforestation undertaken by the Israeli government in Palestinian territories since the ’40s. The tree and certificate embody a battle over meanings and appropriations, with multiple truths.

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