~ vitling // David Whiting, 2024
Following on from the small-scale sculpture I Need To Grow Away From These Roots, the audio-visual installation takes the concept to a much larger scale, transforming a large tree in the grounds of WHOLE Festival into an endless ambient composition in light and sound.
The title is derived from the phrase "It takes a village to raise a child", referencing the parallels between human communities and the interconnected nature of forest ecosystems, placing it in a queer context emphasising the need to exist within healthy queer communities in order to become the true version of yourself.
It is juxtaposed specifically against the title of the preceeding work "I Need To Grow Away From These Roots", which coincided with a period of my life where I felt the need to become more independent, and reflects a personal realisation of the importance of community and interconnectedness to thrive effectively.