Tree Mountain (1992–96) is a large-scale environmental artwork by Hungarian-born conceptual artist Agnes Denes. Planted in Ylöjärvi, Finland, it consists of 11,000 trees arranged in a precise, mathematical pattern resembling a spiraling ellipse. The trees were planted by thousands of volunteers, each of whom received a certificate granting custodianship of their tree for 400 years.
The project combines art, ecology, and social contract. It transforms a barren gravel pit into a reforested landscape, designed to endure across generations. By binding participants into a centuries-long agreement of stewardship, Denes reframes art as a collective promise, an intergenerational collaboration between people, land, and time.
Images from Sutori, Kunststrom, and Agnes Denes.
