The public has been asked to vote on which of six shortlisted artists should create an artwork from the wood of the illegally felled Sycamore Gap tree in a “nationally important” commission.
It comes after the National Trust in September called on artists, organisations and creative agencies to present their ideas for the future of the landmark using half its timber.
The tree stood for more than a century in a natural dip along Hadrian’s Wall, Northumberland, before being illegally cut down in September 2023.
Last July, Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers were each jailed for more than four years for criminal damage to the Sycamore Gap.
The public’s vote, which opens on Saturday and lasts until 28 March – will contribute to 30% of the final decision, while a judging panel of art and nature experts will make up 70%.
The winner will be announced later in the spring.
The six artists or collaborations are Alex Hartley and Tom James, based in Devon and London, Helix Arts x George King Architects, based in the North East, Mary Dalton, based in Hampshire, non zero one, based in London, Sam Williams Studio, based in Sussex, and Trigger, based in Bristol.
• Alex Hartley and Tom James – Viewpoint. Viewpoint is an elevated platform, made from the Sycamore Gap wood, which will lift people up into the space where the tree once stood – before going on a national tour. The artists want to use this platform – and the power of this wood – to hold a conversation about the future of the UK. They say: “Come and climb the Viewpoint and get a new perspective on the country.”
Viewpoint by Alex Hartley and Tom James. Pic: Alex Hartley and Tom James/National Trust/PA
• Helix Arts x George King Architects – The People’s Tree: A Shared Story. A community engagement programme across the north of England, building an archive of stories, national touring exhibition and a sound sculpture near the Gap where people can listen and reflect on what the tree meant to the region and the nation.
The People’s Tree, A Shared Story by Helix Arts x George King Architects. Pic: Helix Arts x George King Architects/National Trust/PA
• Mary Dalton – Sycamore Gap Black. Using the wood to create artists’ materials – including charcoal, inks and pigments – leading to the production of new works and a resulting touring exhibition that shares the story of the tree across the UK.
Sycamore Gap Black by Mary Dalton. Pic: Peter Barker/National Trust/PA
• non zero one – SEEDS. A nationwide artwork where participants enter a lottery to receive a specially made sycamore seed inlaid with wood from the tree, and take part in an interactive experience, inviting them to connect with nature and consider our changing landscapes.
SEEDS by non zero one, which is among the six shortlisted artists. Pic: non zero one/National Trust/PA
• Sam Williams Studio – Stories of 1,000 Trees. A nationwide storytelling project collecting the stories of 1,000 trees and bringing them back to Sycamore Gap, creating a shared space for reflection, memory, and reconnection with the landscape.
Stories of 1000 trees by Sam Williams Studio. Pic: Sam Williams Studio/National Trust/PA
• Trigger – Twirl. An event at the gap – participants will carry large, paper wind-powered sycamore seeds in a live sonic experience: a sound bath made up of instruments made from the tree, a human chorus and a temporary wind harp installation. Participants will receive a special sycamore seed carved from the wood of the tree.
Twirl by Trigger. Pic: Trigger/National Trust/PA
The artwork is expected to be completed by 2028.
Annie Reilly, National Trust public engagement director and chairwoman of the judging panel, said: “Over the past two years, we’ve heard extraordinary stories about what the Sycamore Gap tree meant to people – from moments of celebration and milestones to quiet memories of loss, connection and reflection.
“It became more than a tree; it became part of the emotional landscape of the nation.”
Ms Reilly said the vote will give the public the opportunity to “help share the ongoing story”.
“Each of the six proposals honours the tree in a different way, and we want people to choose the idea that captures what the Sycamore Gap tree meant to them,” she said.
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People can cast up to three votes here by using a valid email address.
You can also have your say in our unofficial poll and see how other people voted.
