Nobody Asked The Tree.
(2026)
In her work, Alix Spooren explores the distance between humans and nature. How we make decisions about what cannot speak.
‘Nobody asked the tree.’ presents close-up images of tree bark, the skin of a tree, its protection. The photographs were taken in Domein Hertoghe in Antwerp, a remnant of what was once an ancient forest. Today, it is enclosed by buildings and busy roads.
Printed on handmade paper, each image carries a word in braille, formed with pearls. The pearls refer to tears, mourning what is disappearing, but also pointing to the absence of dialogue.
Braille is a tactile language. It is read through touch, not sight. It refers to our blindness. Blind to the needs of trees, to the violence we inflict.
By Alix Spooren
Artwork
Alix Spooren,
Nobody asked the tree. 1, 2026
Photograph on handmade paper, ink, pearls, red thread
19×25 cm
Alix Spooren,
Nobody asked the tree. 2, 2026
Photograph on handmade paper, ink, pearls, red thread
19×25 cm
Alix Spooren,
Nobody asked the tree. 3, 2026
Photograph on handmade paper, ink, pearls, red thread
19×25 cm
Alix Spooren,
Nobody asked the tree. 4, 2026
Photograph on handmade paper, ink, pearls, red thread
19×25 cm
Alix Spooren,
Nobody asked the tree. 5, 2026
Photograph on handmade paper, ink, pearls, red thread
19×25 cm
Alix Spooren,
Nobody asked the tree. brooch, 2026
Bark, silver 925
6x3x1,5cm