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5QuestionswithLuciaMonge
TextbyEmilySteer
PeruvianartistLuciaMongehasdevelopedherpracticefromajoint
interestinartandscience,oftenexploringthewaythathumansinteract
withthenaturalworld.ThismonthshewillhaveherownMacbeth
moment,invitingparticipantstomoveplantsthroughthestreetsof
Peckhamaspartofherongoing,internationalworkPlantnMvil.
CanyoutellmeabitaboutPlantnMvil?
PlantnistheSpanishwordforasapling,ayoungtreethatisreadytobeplantedinto
theground.Itisalsothewordforasitin.Thisprojecttakesonboth:thegreentobe
plantedandthepeacefulprotest.Itisaboutgivingtheplantsandtreestheopportunity
towalkdownthestreetsofacitythatisalsotheirs.
Itstartedin2010whileIwaswalkingaroundLima,myhometown,andnoticinghow
manytreesandplantshadtheirleavesblackenedwithsmog,werebeingtreatedas
trashcans,orevenusedasbathrooms.Istartedtoputmyselfintheirplaceand
thoughtIwouldhavelefttownalongtimeago.Insteadtheyaresortofforcedtosit
thereandacceptthisabusebecauseoftheirplantedimmobilestate.Iwonderedwhatit
wouldbeliketoencounterawalkingforestthathadtakentothestreetslikeanyother
groupofpeoplewoulddo,demandingrespect.
PlantnMvil,however,isnotagroupofpeoplecarryingplants:atleastforthattime
beingwearetheforest.Ifinditimportanttomakethisdistinctionbecauseitchanges
thenatureofthegesture.Thisisaboutlendingourmobilitytoplantssothattheycan
benefitfromthespeedandscalethatdrawspeoplesattention.Inreturnwemay
momentarilyborrowsomeoftheirslowness.
Howhastheprojectdevelopedsinceyoubegan?Didthefirstwalkgoasexpected?
Thefirstyear,60participantsshowedupwithbackpacksandshoppingcarts,riding
bicyclesandskateboards,pushingwheelbarrowsandawheelchair.Itwas,evenforme,
anunexpectedsuccessinattendance.Theplantsweredonatedandplantedinapublic
parkwherethemobilizationsrouteended.Anessentialpartofthisprojectisthatat
theendtheplantsandtreescontributetoanexistingornewpublicgreenarea.

OvertheyearsIhaveseenourparticipationincreaseindiversityandnumber.The
followingyeartheeventmorethantripledwiththeparticipationof200people.Later
onin2012Icalculatedthattheattendancepeakedataround400.Sincethen,the
numbershavenotincreasedbutotherexcitingexpansionshaveoccurredsuchas
havingtoorganizeitfromafarinthecontextoftheUNClimateConferencein2014.It
hasbeentakenonandorganizedbyothersonceinprotestforagroupoftreesbeing
cutdowntobuildaparkinglot.LastyearitmadeitsinternationaldebutinProvidence,
RhodeIslandandthismonthwewillbeforestwalkinginPeckham,Londonatthe
invitationofthegalleryBosse&BaumandwiththesupportofaFoundationfor
ContemporaryArtsEmergencyGrant.Ihavealsostartedtoexploretheideaof
individualinterventionsthatoccursimultaneouslyindifferentpartsoftheworld,
linkingplacesthroughsharedintention.
Throughouttime,thisnowannualeventhasdrawnsupportfromgovernmental
agencies,NGOsandprivatecompanies.Mostimportantly,ithostsagrowing
communityofpeoplewhocomefromdifferentplacesandoccupationstojoinaround
thiscommoninterest.Thewalksnevergoexactlyasexpected.Imostlyplanandinvite
theexchangebutthankstothediversityoflivingandmovingformsthatthepeople
andplantsbring,theexperiencealwaysunfoldsdifferently.Ilearnmuchandhonestly
havetonsoffuntoo:smokinggrandmasloadedupwithhouseplants,people
populatingtheforestwiththesoundsofmonkeyscallingandroostersresponding,fire
trucksshootingwaterintotheairinashowofsupport,amongsomanyother
spontaneouscontributionsthathaveboosted,challengedandbroughttogetherthe
walkingforests.IworkhardintheplanningphasebutknowthatultimatelyIhaveto
letgoandenjoywhatunfolds.
Haveyounoticedthatthetreesindifferentcitiesaretreatedindifferentways,oris
ourattitudetowardsthemfairlyuniversal?
PlantnMvilwalksagainstthemistreatmentofplantsandtreesinthecity,advocates
fortheaccessibilityofpublicgreenspacesasabasicrightforallandpromotesthe
valueofnativeandadaptedplantsratherthanstressingtheconditionsoflocal
environmentsinpursuitofromanticposterlikegardens.
Theprojectstartedwiththeurbangreennotonlybecausethatwastherealityofmy
immediateenvironmentbutalsobecauseIfeltaneedtoconnecttheconversation
aroundclimatechangewithoureverydayhabitsinamoreintimateway.
Environmentalchangewas(is?)commonlyrepresentedbyrainforestsbeingcutdown,
glaciersmeltingorcoralreefsbleaching,typicallyreinforcingtheperceptionofit
happeningelsewhere.Conceptually,theeffectsofitarealsocomplexandcomein
overwhelmingscale.Ihopedtoencourageaconnectionthatdidnotfeelabstractor
foreign.
Essentially,PlantnMvilisaboutmovingwithasaformofsolidarity.Itislessabout
theplaceandmoreabouttherelationshipwithtreesandplants.Itsaparticularwayof
gettingtoknowandrelatetooursurroundings,hopefullyanexperiencethat
transcendsanecotrendandrootsintooureverydaypractices.Ibelieveitisawayof
startingsmallandathomethatdirectlypointstowardstheoriginofthewordecology:
knowledge,studyofourhomeanditsrelationships.So,bybeinganattitudeitexpands
thenotionofhometowhereverweare.
Whydoyouthinkwehavesuchfixed,categorizedideasofourfellowlivingthings,

andhowdoyouthinkthiscouldchangeforthebetter?
ForawhileItaughtsciencek6whilemaintainingmyartpractice,andoneofmy
favoriteunitswasTheCharacteristicsofLivingThings.Alllivingthingsbreathe,eat,
excrete,grow,reproduce,aresensitivetostimulifromtheenvironmentandmove.
Teachingandrelearningtheseresonatedverymuchwithmywork.
Istartedthinkingabouthowandwhenmovementisusedasameasureoflivingness:if
itdoesnotmovethenitismostlikelydeadorsleeping.Perhapstheirapparent
immobilitypushesplantsintothecategoryofdecorativeobjectsormerecomponentsof
aseeminglystaticlandscape.Thetheatrespaintedbackdroptoourandotheranimals
dailyrunning.Iencountermuchlessconversationaroundourrelationshiptoplantsas
cohabitantsortheirrightsandwelfarewithoutanymentiontohumanbenefitthanI
doforotheranimals.Ipersonallybelievethatmovementplaysacrucialroleinthe
distinction.
Mostcategoriesestablishthedividinglinebetweenaninsideandanoutside,oneand
theotherbutperhapsitisthefixationonthebordersthatbecomesproblematic.
Especiallywhentheseareabsolute,hierarchical,orexternallyimposed.However,we
donotwanttoallbethesame,diversityiskey,thereshouldbespaceforgroupingsthat
arefluidandpermeable,curiousandappreciativeofdifferenceandhenceleadusto
constantlypushwhatwethinkweknow.Reencounteringthe7characteristicsshared
byalllivingthingshasmademefocusonhowtoperceiveandrepresentplant
movement.HowcanI/weexplorethedistancesthatmakeusdifferentorsimilarto
ultimatelyincorporateothernessintothewayweobserve,moveandmakecontactwith
ourenvironment?
Doyouhopeforyourworktopromoteachangeinaction,attitude,thinkingor
j
perhapsallthree?
Yes,Iwouldhopetoofferanalternativewayofthinkingaboutplants,startingwiththe
oneslivingwithus.
IliketothinkthatpeoplewhohaveparticipatedinPlantnMvilfindthemselves
walkingaroundtheircity,runintotheplantstheywalkedwithandsayhi,or
commenttothepersonwalkingwiththemabouttheirexperiencesoitgetssharedand
retoldwhentheyencountereachotherintheresultinggreenspaces.
Icannotcontrolwhattheindividualexperienceisofthoseparticipating,butIbelieve
thatputtingoneselfinsomeoneelsesshoes(inthiscaseroots)isaformofempathy.I
hopethatiscommunicated,lastspastthemobilizationandinspiresachangethat
startswithpayingattention,aconsiderationthathopefullyinspiresrespectandcare.
So,althoughIrealizethosearebigexpectations,Idohopethatdevelopinga
connectionwithindividualtreesandplantsisameansofcultivatingabroader
ecologicalconsciousness.
PlantnMvilwithLuciaMonge:Workshop23July,Walk30JulyatBosse&Baum
,PeckhamaspartofArtificialArcadia

LuciaMonge,PlantnMvil2010.DowntownLima,60participants.CourtesyJosipCurich

LuciaMonge,PlantnMvil2011.Lima,200participants.CourtesyJorgeOchoa

LuciaMonge,PlantnMvil2012.NocheenBlancoLima,400participants.CourtesyJosipCurich

LuciaMonge,PlantnMvil,Providence,2015.200people,400nativeplantsand9emeraldgreen
arborvitaetrees.CourtesyThadRussell

LuciaMonge,[Nos]otros,2015,mixedmedia,collectedlimbsandsecondhandshoes.installationdetail,
ArtificialArcadia,Bosse&Baum,2016.CourtesyOskarProctor

LuciaMonge,[Nos]otros,2015,mixedmedia,collectedlimbsandsecondhandshoes.installationview,
j
ArtificialArcadia,Bosse&Baum,2016.CourtesyOskarProctor

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