The Living Archives of Gratte-Terre

The Living Archives of Gratte-Terre reveals several years of tree art practices developed within the participatory nursery in Villeurbanne. Here, the trees themselves are on display in the open air, while their histories of cultivation, care, transplantation and harvest form a living archive, continuously shaped by residents, artists and more-than-human beings.

The project unfolds between the nursery and the cabin. Outdoors, visitors discover the trees, their journeys and the practices that sustain them. Inside, the cabin exceptionally opens the doors to a usually unseen workspace, where working archives, tools, notebooks, seeds, photographs and ongoing experiments reveal the everyday practice of Les Artistes Arboricoles and the gradual making of an artistic practice rooted in care for the living.

Throughout Résonance, workshops, talks and public gatherings invite visitors to experience tree art firsthand. Presented at a pivotal moment in the history of Gratte-Terre, the project accompanies the forthcoming departure of some of its trees for The Chain of Oaks, affirming that this collective artwork continues to grow beyond the site through the trees, the gestures and the relationships they have fostered.