Having already planned a recycled Christmas tree installation with a Brooklyn gallery for next year, Neff decided to create something on the streets of Williamsburg and chose this long abandoned gated spot under the BQE.

Neff decided to create something on the streets of Williamsburg last year, and chose this long abandoned gated spot under the BQE. Scouring the streets with a friend, he collected the used up trees that crowded the sidewalks of Brooklyn and hauled a dozen or so dead trees to his chosen spot, which is a stone’s throw from the Lorimer Street L stop as well as many bars and restaurants in the area. Hoisting each tree up, he hung them with heavy twine at the same level, along a horizontal pipe under the overpass. Hanging in unison, the row of trees sways in the wind like ghosts of Christmas past, but also evoke a somber undertone, like bodies hanging from nooses.

Neff’s installation is beautiful, infusing greenery in a stark industrial landscape, even if the trees are dead. But the sheer amount of trees hanging together also brings the excess of Christmas to mind. Intentional or not, the hanging trees are a visible example of our throw away culture. Neff’s installation feels at once like a vigil to the fallen trees, but also as a way to bring nature to a forgotten industrial setting.

+ Michael Neff