British designer creates tree exhibition for COP26

The installation includes 197 trees to represent the 197 parties who signed the 1994 United Nations Climate Change treaty and who will be regathering at the conference in November

Spotted: London-based artist and stage designer Es Devlin will be unveiling another of her temporary tree and plant installations to highlight issues related to climate change. 

The exhibition has been designed for the COP26 climate change conference in Glasgow and will be presented as part of the New York Times Climate Hub from 3 to 11 November. 

Forest architect Philip Jaffa and landscape specialist Scotscape will also assist with the new project. 

Referred to as the Conference of the Trees, the installation includes 197 trees to represent the 197 parties who signed the 1994 United Nations Climate Change treaty. These individuals will gather again at COP26 over 12 days of conversations surrounding how to tackle the increasing climate crisis. 

“I wanted to view the conference of the parties from the perspective of a non-human species bearing witness to the decisions the humans might make,” Es Devlin explained. 

Devlin’s work follows her Forest for Change project last summer which was exhibited as part of the London Design Biennale at Somerset House. The installation consisted of 400 trees to raise awareness of the United Nations’ climate initiative Global Goals. 

Similar to Forest for Change, the trees and plants that comprise Conference of the Trees will be replanted after the event. Replantation will take place in urban reforestation sites in Glasgow, making the project carbon positive.  

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