Louise Bourgeois in Forest of Dreams: Contemporary Tree Sculpture
Group exhibition at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
20 October 2023—25 February 2024
Forest of Dreams: Contemporary Tree Sculpture offers unexpected visions of these remarkable organisms, showcasing trees in all their power, beauty, strangeness, and glory.
This engaging and timely exhibition unites the diverse work of national and international artists to explore the multifaceted associations and dimensions of trees—from metaphorical and ecological to the mythological and personal. Forest of Dreams delves deep into the intricate realm of trees and invites guests to reevaluate their relationship with nature and the living world around them.
Trees, as a source of life and as symbols of growth and connectivity, have always held a profound place in human culture and consciousness. Bringing a vast range of materials and methods to the subject, the artists in this exhibition convey the full power and poignancy of trees. Several hybrid sculptures, combining human and tree anatomy, serve to remind us of our close kinship with these complex botanical beings.
The exhibition features the work of 15 exceptional artists: Emilie Brzezinski, Louise Bourgeois, Nick Cave, Kim Cridler, Tom Czarnopys, Michele Oka Doner, Peter Frie, Hugh Hayden, Jim Hodges, Patrick Jacobs, Maya Lin, Robert Lobe, Roxy Paine, Rona Pondick, and Ai Weiwei.