Unique exhibition during Ambacht in Beeld Festival!

“100,000 Trees and a Forest of Thread” is a project where textile artist Sara Vrugt embroidered a forest. This artwork, spanning one hundred square meters, was created in 2020/21 in a public pop-up studio. Over a thousand participants shared nature stories and contributed embroidery stitches, collectively creating a forest of thread on canvas.

This artwork aims to reconnect people with the significance of nature in their lives. Concurrently, through crowdfunding, a real forest of one hundred thousand living trees has been planted, both in the Netherlands and in tropical regions.

After being displayed at various locations, the artwork will be placed outdoors in 2025, in the gardens of Museum Belvédère in Heerenveen. A ceremony will mark its transition to a final “life phase.” The canvas will integrate into nature; the fabric will degrade over time, and seeds embedded in the hem will eventually replace the embroidered trees. Thus, the spiral form will persist with living nature as its material.
Creating connections among people and fostering creativity are fundamental motives in Sara’s projects. Yet, an overarching theme has emerged: nature. Her goal was to engage people through art in planting more trees and raising awareness about our inseparable connection with the ecosystem – interbeing.

Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh once said, “The same life force that flows through you, flows through me and all other living beings. We are all interconnected in a complex web; this is ‘interbeing.’ When we harm nature, animals, or other people, we harm ourselves, not in a metaphorical sense, but literally.”

Deforestation, biodiversity loss, heat stress – in the Anthropocene, humanity bears responsibility for these monumental crises. Sara reflects, “Deep down, we all feel that nature is essential to us. Yet, we often fail to act accordingly. I sometimes feel despair over human arrogance and the future of new generations. The large systems need to change, and as an individual, it can feel overwhelming. Nevertheless, every day we make significant choices, even with our fork and wallet. I compel myself to remain optimistic. Through this work, I aim to raise awareness. I believe that once you truly realize that the Earth is essentially your mother, you will care for her better. It may seem like a drop in the ocean, but many drops of water together will not evaporate. Planting one hundred thousand trees aims not only to create more forests but above all, to demonstrate that taking action is within our reach.”