About

‘The trees are alive’ is a wonderfully playful and immersive installation, spanning three locations across Leeds City Centre.

It sees artist and designer, Joe Mason, breathe new life into the urban landscape by adorning 53 trees with more than 100 simple, yet captivating artworks - each featuring eyes, mouths, teeth, and abstract shapes.

This remarkable project taps into the universal human instinct to find patterns and faces in the world around us. From doodling in notebooks to spotting familiar shapes in clouds, we’re drawn to seek out the personality in everyday objects - a phenomenon that Joe celebrates by drawing attention to the natural world within the city.

But ‘The trees are alive’ is about more than creating whimsical sculptures. It’s a call to foster connections - to nature, to each other, and to the spaces we all inhabit. In a world where social distancing has become the norm, the project serves as a beacon of hope and togetherness, inviting people of all ages to explore Leeds City Centre in new and exciting ways.
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Joe’s work encourages us to see trees not just as static elements of the landscape, but as living beings worthy of our attention and care. By infusing these trees with human-like characteristics, he sparks curiosity and meaningful interactions, reminding us of the vital role trees play in our ecosystem.

So, next time you find yourself wandering through Leeds City Centre, take a moment to pause, look up, and marvel at the living sculptures that surround you. Let ‘The trees are alive’ inspire you to forge deeper connections with the natural world and with each other, creating lasting memories and emotionally rich experiences along the way.

‘The trees are alive’ will open at 11am on May 22nd 2024, with artworks sited throughout Albion Place, City Square & Queen’s Gardens in Leeds City Centre.

Admission is free. Just bring your imagination.