This ephemeral piece was created for the performance Tree Hole (your secret is safe with me), curated by Constanza Valenzuela and presented on the High Line in 2024. Inspired by the medieval Irish folktale The Emperor’s Donkey Ears—in which a barber, having discovered that his emperor has the ears of a donkey and unable to bear the weight of the secret, whispers it into the hollow of a tree—the work explores the emotional release and quiet companionship offered by nature.
Variations of this tale appear globally: King Midas and the reeds in Greek mythology, Labhraidh Loingseach and the willow in Irish legend, and King Gyeongmun and the bamboo in Korean folklore. Though the plant changes, the impulse remains: to unburden oneself in nature’s quiet presence. In China, the ‘tree hole’ has recently become a metaphor for anonymous confessions on deactivated social media accounts due to internet regulations.
During the performance, Yuchen embodied a living “tree hole.” Visitors were invited to whisper their secrets to her. She offered no unsolicited responses, only presence—sometimes eye contact, sometimes silence, or words only if asked. Fluent in Mandarin and English but receptive to all tongues, she promised confidentiality. A still listener in a noisy world.
This ephemeral piece was created for the performance Tree Hole (your secret is safe with me), curated by Constanza Valenzuela and presented on the High Line in 2024. Inspired by the medieval Irish folktale The Emperor’s Donkey Ears—in which a barber, having discovered that his emperor has the ears of a donkey and unable to bear the weight of the secret, whispers it into the hollow of a tree—the work explores the emotional release and quiet companionship offered by nature.
Variations of this tale appear globally: King Midas and the reeds in Greek mythology, Labhraidh Loingseach and the willow in Irish legend, and King Gyeongmun and the bamboo in Korean folklore. Though the plant changes, the impulse remains: to unburden oneself in nature’s quiet presence. In China, the ‘tree hole’ has recently become a metaphor for anonymous confessions on deactivated social media accounts due to internet regulations.
During the performance, Yuchen embodied a living “tree hole.” Visitors were invited to whisper their secrets to her. She offered no unsolicited responses, only presence—sometimes eye contact, sometimes silence, or words only if asked. Fluent in Mandarin and English but receptive to all tongues, she promised confidentiality. A still listener in a noisy world.
