"Western red cedar (Thuja occidentalis) is an evergreen coniferous tree of the genus Thuja, which occurs naturally in the northwestern United States. It was imported to Europe in 1545. It is very popular in Central Europe, especially as a hedge, e.g., Thuja occidentalis brabant. It was probably the first tree species to be imported to Britain from America."
The prominent Slovak artist Ilona Németh will present herself at DUÚL through a completely new extensive authorial project, which builds on the rich line of environmentally oriented artworks latently present in her work since the early 1990s. In her new project, the author responds to ongoing climate change, which in her home environment in southern Slovakia is manifested, among other things, by the disappearance of thujas, which are gradually dying, drying up, and turning brown. Ilona Németh began monitoring these disappearing trees and shrubs, which have been present in Central Europe since the 16th century, and collecting all available information about them.

In various languages, the thuja is called the tree of life. I symbolically perceive their gradual extinction as nature's warning, one of the signs that we should take very seriously. I selected a row of about 30 trees that I have been observing and photographing in recent years. This year, their condition has deteriorated to such an extent that they will need to be cut down by the end of October 2024. I have acquired these trees and will not let them be chopped down, but will preserve them in the form of woodworking material. They will gradually dry out, and I plan to use them to make furniture for public spaces, which I plan to place in their original location.