District West asked for an awe-inspiring landmark to put their grey area of Amsterdam on the map. The Tree of Hope, created for and by festival makers, became a beacon of hope during lockdown.
The undiscovered industrial part of Amsterdam next to the highway needed a temporary monument with strong roots, symbolizing hope, unison, celebration, release, wisdom, fantasy, resilience, freedom, magic, possibilities, new life, perspective, sustainability, vision, and individuality. Values the world craves, and that are a valuable fertilizer on which District West can grow its future.
In collaboration with the Dutch association of event makers (VVEM) the creative community was put back to where they are flourishing — at work. The Tree of Hope is created by the unsung heroes, the ones who normally find themselves behind the scenes. They’ve spent two months designing and building this unique beacon of hope. Not only to get back to work but also to bring hope to everyone who has had a hard time. After a year of uncertainty, at a time when the festival season would normally break loose in all its diversity, creativity, and optimism, District West was growing and blooming.