have you ever hugged a tree? monsieur plant wraps sculptural human arms around trees
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have you ever hugged a tree? monsieur plant wraps sculptural human arms around trees

tree hug reflects on the relationship between time, landscape, and human presence.

Monsieur Plant edited by Iñaki Laguardia July 9, 2026 3 min

pairs of sculptural arms by Monsieur Plant embrace tree trunks

 

Created by artist Monsieur Plant, Tree Hug is an outdoor installation presented in the grounds of the Maison Chateaubriand in Châtenay-Malabry as part of the Jardins Ouverts festival in Paris and the Île-de-France region. The work consists of a sculptural pair of planted arms wrapped around a tree trunk, creating a visual connection between the human body and the natural environment.

 

Through this simple gesture of embrace, the installation explores themes of attachment, environmental awareness, and the relationship between humans and trees. By combining elements of sculpture and surrealism, Tree Hug transforms the tree into a figure of interaction, questioning the separation between natural and human forms.

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all images courtesy of Monsieur Plant

 

 

Tree Hug Reimagines the Relationship Between People and Trees

 

The installation by French artist Christophe Guinet, known as Monsieur Plant, highlights trees as living elements within ecosystems and reflects on their role as witnesses to environmental and temporal changes. By integrating a human gesture into the existing landscape, the artwork encourages a renewed perception of the trees that surround us and examines the connection between human presence and the natural world.

have you ever hugged a tree? monsieur plant wraps sculptural human arms around trees - 2
a sculptural pair of arms embraces the trunk of a living tree
have you ever hugged a tree? monsieur plant wraps sculptural human arms around trees - 3
the artwork creates a direct visual connection between the human body and nature

monsieur-plant-tree-hug-outdoor-installation-france-designboom-1800-3
the installation transforms a familiar gesture into a sculptural intervention
have you ever hugged a tree? monsieur plant wraps sculptural human arms around trees - 4
human-like arms merge with the landscape through a simple act of embrace
have you ever hugged a tree? monsieur plant wraps sculptural human arms around trees - 5
the work introduces a human gesture into the natural environment
have you ever hugged a tree? monsieur plant wraps sculptural human arms around trees - 6
sculpture becomes a medium for reflecting on environmental awareness
have you ever hugged a tree? monsieur plant wraps sculptural human arms around trees - 7
the artwork highlights trees as living elements within the ecosystem
monsieur-plant-tree-hug-outdoor-installation-france-designboom-1800-2
Tree Hug reflects on the relationship between time, landscape, and human presence
have you ever hugged a tree? monsieur plant wraps sculptural human arms around trees - 8
the installation combines sculpture with surrealist imagery
have you ever hugged a tree? monsieur plant wraps sculptural human arms around trees - 9
Monsieur Plant uses a simple gesture to explore connections between humans and nature
have you ever hugged a tree? monsieur plant wraps sculptural human arms around trees - 10
the installation forms part of the Jardins Ouverts festival in the Paris region
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Tree Hug is installed within the grounds of Maison Chateaubriand

 

project info:

 

name: Tree Hug

designer: Monsieur Plant — Christophe Guinet | @monsieur_plant

location: Maison Chateaubriand, Châtenay-Malabry, France

event: Festival Jardins Ouverts

curator: Façon de penser | @facondepenser_agence

 

 

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

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