HOLY WOOD

HOLY WOOD was conceived with the aim to draw attention to the crucial role the forest plays for our climate and how trees can help sustain a balanced ecosystem. The project consisted of a fundraising initiative launched to plant 10,000 trees in order to remedy the lacunae in Berlin’s roadside tree population. Individual donors were able to “adopt a tree” and fill the vacant tree holes lining Berlin’s streets, thus actively contributing to a more balanced urban ecology.

In conjunction, the Mindpirates collective produced a large-scale video installation in Berlin’s Tiergarten during the Berlinale 2011. The life-sized replica of the famous Hollywood sign – signifier of opulence and waste – was contrasted by the spectacular moving images projected onto it, showing nature’s floral and faunal wonders.

A book was published under the title “HOLY WOOD – A Plea for the Tree” that took the reader on a visual adventure through the world of trees, myths and fairytales.

The project was the final part of a series of interventions in the public sphere conceived by Ralf Schmerberg in collaboration with the Mindpirates collective and enabled by Entega, distributor of sustainable energy.