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Performed at Residency Unlimited. Curated by Davina Bisara. Images by Duane Garay.
Tanika Williams explores themes of interconnectedness in her series of performances, A Ceremony for the Trees | Chestnut, Hickory, and Oak. Using the trees on Governors Island as both metaphor and subject, Williams reflects on how survival, coexistence, and rebirth parallel natural ecosystems. Trees serve as symbols of resilience—physically strong yet socially interconnected, with deep-rooted networks that sustain both themselves and their surroundings. Williams’ performances reveal how human societies mirror these ecosystems, addressing the history of trees on Governors Island and their significance, from colonization to environmental changes, and bringing forth their collective survival and rebirth. Her reflections on birth, transformation, and the chaos required to rearrange life’s components bring an organic and cyclical perspective that mirrors processes found in nature.