MUTUAL CARE

Through the piece Root Sequence (copse), 2025, American-Pakistani artist Asad Raza (b. 1974) encourages participation and dialogue. In the Museum’s gallery 207, twenty-six young trees are planted in containers, in which the trees’ caretakers have placed personal items, thus creating a bond between themselves, the trees, and the objects. The work invites us to reflect on the way in which we interact with other species, promoting the idea of mutual care. When the exhibition closes, the trees in the installation will be replanted in a natural setting, where they will continue to thrive for at least 40 years so that their lives will extend beyond the walls of the Museum.

A WISH TO CREATE

On the Museum’s second floor outdoor terrace is the artwork Wish Tree for Bilbao (1996/2014), by Japanese artist Yoko Ono (b. 1933), which belongs to the Museum Collection. The piece evokes the Japanese tradition of hanging wishes on the branches of temple trees. As both a work of art and a living being, the olive tree requires special care. Wish Tree for Bilbao also seems to blossom with the participation of Museum visitors, who share their deepest wishes on certain dates. Ono believes that imagining, thinking, and wishing is the first step in creation and in transforming the world.

Asad Raza
Root Sequence, (copse), 2017
26 trees of 12 different species
Variable dimensions