Bioacoustical Ethics: On Joakim Blattmann’s Treverk (9)

Based on the artwork Treverk (9) by Norwegian artist Joakim Blattmann, this chapter discusses whether it is possible to exhibit a tree in a gallery space and still respect the tree as having inherent value, in accordance with Arne Næss and George Sessions’ ‘Principles of Deep Ecology’. Aspects such as the artist’s intention, the origin of the materials and the installation of the final artwork are put into question and analysed from a deep ecological perspective. If the tree’s desire is to live, then chopping it up and presenting it as a human spectacle in a gallery space is not to respect its inherent value. Yet the chapter argues that Treverk (9) can still inspire ecological thinking by disturbing the anthropocentric world view and displaying a deep relationality between the artist and the tree.