Singing Trees

Louvre Abu Dhabi and Théâtre du Châtelet, with the support of Bloomberg Philanthropies launched the world premiere of Singing Trees in 2020, an interactive traveling installation created by award winning digital artists from London, Umbrellium, in collaboration with Paris’ Institute for Research and Coordination in Acoustics/Music and independent producer, Katherine Jewkes. 

Combining innovative technology, music and an interactive visitor experience, Singing Trees offered a unique opportunity to engage with, and appreciate, nature. Activating the outdoor landscape of Louvre Abu Dhabi, Umbrellium gave a voice to the palm trees around the museum’s entrance using non-invasive, electronic belts attached to each tree. These belts enabled the

trees to sing together as a choir changed in response to the audiences’ interaction with the work. As visitors moved closer to the trees, the choir became louder and more in sync. Visitors were then invited to hug the tree to amplify the volume of the choir. 

The trees sing a combination of songs in English, Arabic and French. In each country that exhibits the installation, new songs are commissioned for the trees to sing. The featured musical pieces for Singing Trees at Louvre Abu Dhabi included Ayyala, a traditional Arabic song that reflects the artistic heritage of the UAE; “Greensleeves,” a traditional English folk song from the late 16th century and the French Medieval choir song “L’Amour de Moy.”