Note: I am over two months late with posting this  

 

A week before leaving China in early September, we had an exceptional  turnout on a very stormy night for Tree Stories on Video from Ireland and China hosted by the Embassy of Ireland. It was a special gathering of people who might not have been familiar with my art practice the “Memory Palace of Tree Stories “. It also was a lovely way to say thank you to friends and many amazing people after 15 years living in China .

Deputy Head of Mission Barry Mulligan opens the event

A huge thank you to all the people at the Embassy of Ireland in China especially deputy Ambassador Barry Mulligan for hosting this event , to new cultural officer Linyi Liu and old friend Han Bai for their wonderful work and smooth efficiency in making this happen .  

A huge thank you to all dear friends and collectors , to gallerists and curators who have supported me over the years, to mentors and fellow artists for your inclusion , your work , your help and companionship over the years.  

Over the next two years I will travel and work with people and communities in other countries building this collection of tree stories into a global treasure of the human connection to nature and I hope to explore what this connection and value might be capable of at a time of ecological emergency .  

 

Here is the Embassy of Ireland Weibo link to the event

 

Click here for the link to see the 120 tree stories on video 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here are the links to some of the Tree Stories which were screened at this reception

 

Tree Stories from Ireland 

#79 Healers                                         A story of healing and a love of trees    

#49 Forest Bathing 1                         ‘ …throw out your yoga mats and settle yourself into the ground 

#50 Forest Bathing 2                   ‘ …. you start to notice all the animals , the owls and the red squirrels

#73 The Missing Gorilla                  mistaken identity,  one of the few funny tree stories !   

 

Tree Stories from China 

# 9 Feeling Good – Tree Song             a song of joy and spontaneity in Daizu language

#91 The Greatest Blessing           caretaking for plants and animals is a blessing  

# 113  Cloning Ancient Trees    living records  

# 119   Willow Warrior carbon capture and toxin removal     

 

 

We also screened Tree Dance, from 2020 November , this 6 minute video this takes place in my favourite wooded space in Beijing Dong Xiao Kou, this is where a little part of my heart will always remain.  

 

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A Living Archive of Ecological Memory and Cultural Connection

The Memory Palace of Tree Stories is a global storytelling initiative that gathers short video reflections about trees — as companions, symbols, witnesses, and sources of wisdom. It invites individuals from diverse cultures, disciplines, and generations to share their stories and explore their relationship to nature, creating a living archive that blends ecological awareness, cultural memory, and artistic expression. Since its launch in 2020, over 120 stories on video have been collected from China, Ireland, and Europe, each a seed of empathy and remembrance, forming an evolving, multimedia memory palace to honor our interdependence with the living world. The Memory Palace is more than a storytelling project; it is a platform bridging art, environmental understanding, and community engagement.

生态记忆与文化连结的活态档案 “记忆宫殿树的故事”是一个全球艺术项目，致力于收集和分享关于树木的一分钟短视频。人们讲述树木如何作为伙伴、象征、见证者与智慧源泉，反映出人 与自然的情感纽带。这些故事融合生态意识、文化记忆与艺术表达，形成一个不断扩展的多媒体记忆殿堂。自 2020 年启动以来，项目已收录 120 个来自 中国、爱尔兰及欧洲的故事，每一个都是对我们生态记忆的见证。