From April 27 to July 3, 2022, the textile artwork "100,000 trees and 'een bos van draad' (a forest of thread) by Sara Vrugt (1981) is on display in the Hortus botanicus Leiden. The artwork, an immense embroidered forest on a 100 m² canvas, was created in 2020 with the help of more than a thousand volunteers. In several pop-up studios, one of which was also in the Hortus in the summer of 2020, many hands collaborated on this special work.
Immersion
The artwork shows a forest in all its growth stages; young shoots, mature trees, dying stumps. The more than 30 meters wide canvas is hung in a spiral form in the final installation. Immerse yourself in a layered space, in which all seasons are represented and all your senses are stimulated.
Making process
The artwork was created in four public pop-up studios across the country, one of which was in the Hortus. Connecting people is one of the goals of this project. The creative process played a major role in this. More than a thousand people participated in embroidery or shared a personal nature experience. Together they formed the multidimensional forest of thread.
A total experience
Let your senses be stimulated by listening to an audio tour with collected stories while the forest smells caress your senses. We also take you through the creation of 'een bos van draad' in a documentary.
A forest of wire interwoven with nature
Tree and plant seeds are incorporated into the hem to allow the textile artwork to permanently intertwine with nature in a museum garden after the exhibitions. So for those who do not want to miss the artwork, they should plan their visit in advance. In addition, an actual forest of one hundred thousand trees will be planted with the help of crowdfunding.