Through her work, Nadia Kaabi-Linke makes visible the powerdynamicsand forces that control our coexistence, yet which mostoften remain hidden. Hersite-specific installations often physicallyengage the viewer. In her workTheMumble of the HomecomingOak, realised in Lyon in 2022, the artist drew a parallelbetween thecutting down of trees and the loss of loved ones. In collaborationwithpeople who had suffered loss, she created a room-fillingsculpture withthe branches and leaves of an oak tree, whereby thestories and memories ofthese people could be heard as vibratingsounds in the branches of the tree. ForBiennale Gherdëina, NadiaKaabi-Linke has transformed an underground spacein the pedestrianzone of Ortisei. The roots of various trees that fell as a resultofsummer storms protrude from the floor of the room, winding theirway throughthe concrete. In the underground cellar, the forest thusseems to penetrate theurban environment, reclaiming a spacetaken away from it over the course of theurban development process.The roots in the built space create an obstacle, sovisitorsneed to move with caution. However, in this scenario amid anguishandfascination, there are also places to pause, observe and reflect.What would ourworld be like if we went back to sharing our livingspace with the forest, animalsand plants? Kaabi-Linke offers us anunusual and visually powerful experience ofcloseness that transformsthe modern cult of exploitation into a respectful attitudeof listeningand receiving.