Installation by Jean Shin
Opening April 18, 2026, and on long-term view at the Main Entrance meadow
In Jean Shin’s Offering, two felled trees from Green-Wood’s grounds have been memorialized in an earthwork reminiscent of Korean burial mounds. Rather than marking an ending, the mound becomes a site of return as trunks, branches, and leaves slowly decompose back into the soil. As these materials break down, they seed new growth in the meadow, and native wildflowers that bloom each season make visible the regenerative work of nature.
Like the Cemetery itself, Offering is a site for both endings and beginnings. The tree elders now buried have not disappeared so much as changed form. The work will continue to evolve over the coming seasons and years. Here, grief and growth occupy the same space, and what has seemingly been lost continues, gradually, to offer itself back.
NATURE AT WORK
Offering was constructed using permaculture, a sustainable approach to working with nature rather than against it. All of the organic material in the mound, from the trunks of red and pin oaks to the branches and leaves, was sourced from within Green-Wood. Below ground, microbes and insects move through and break down the organic matter into nutrients that enrich the soil. Over time, this decomposition becomes the fuel of a thriving ecosystem, supporting and sustaining the living world that surrounds it. Above ground, native wildflowers and shrubs bloom and grow each season, drawing in birds, pollinators, and other wildlife. This restoration is a form of resistance in the face of increasing climate collapse, growing more alive with each passing year.
GATHERING STONES
Green-Wood sits atop a glacial moraine, a ridge of earth and stone left behind by a retreating glacier about 20,000 years ago. The ancient stones placed around the meadow mound have never left this landscape. During burial excavations, large rocks like these are often uncovered, remnants of the glacier that shaped this terrain. Rather than being left displaced, Shin has chosen to gather them here, carving and polishing some into birdbaths. Others are placed as seats open to visitors who wish to rest, gather, or be still. Unlike gravestones that memorialize individuals, these stones welcome all who encounter them, human and otherwise, to connect with geological time and scale. In this way, they form a kind of common ground, a place to reflect on deep time within the living landscape
THANK YOU!
Offering is curated by Harry J. Weil, Green-Wood’s Vice President of Education and Programs.
The mound is planted and maintained by a dedicated group of volunteer gardeners, coordinated by Angeles Perez, Manager of Community Engagement and Programs. A heartfelt thank you to Anna Pelavin, Caroline Hibbert, Cat Cimino, Connor Haggerty, Hannah Mills, Jess Ramirez, Johnnay Leenay, Lesleigh Hammer, Madeleine Foley, Meena Ardebili, Micaél Pereira Garcia, Nati Gonzalez, Pj B., Sav Schmidt, Sydney Harris, Trasonia Abbott, and Victoria Yan — whose time, care, and hands support this new life!
The burial of elder trees and construction of the mound were made possible through the generous efforts of the Facilities and Cemetery Services Departments: Yudhistir Sukhra, Jimmy Santiago, Frank Morelli, and Frank Bernardini.
Planting guidance provided by the Landscape Department: Joseph Charap and Sara Evans.
Compost generously donated by BigReuse, led by Devin Reitsma.
The glacial rocks were hand-carved with great skill by Green-Wood’s Department of Restoration and Preservation — Neela K. Wickremesinghe, William Borowski, and Juan Valencia.
Rituals at Jean Shin’s Offering: Between Endings and Beginnings include Rituals, led by Dannielle Tegeder from Hilma’s Ghost (December 14, 2025), and Nurturing the Remains, led by Mudang Jenn (April 18, 2026).
This installation is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts, with support from the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Jean Shin is known for her sprawling and often public sculptures, transforming accumulations of discarded objects into powerful monuments that interrogate our complex relationship between material consumption, collective identity, and community engagement. Often working cooperatively within a community, Shin amasses vast collections of everyday objects—Mountain Dew bottles, mobile phones, 35mm slides—while researching their history of use, circulation, and environmental impact. Distinguished by this labor-intensive and participatory process, Shin’s creations become catalysts for communities to confront social and ecological challenges.
Born in Seoul, South Korea, and raised in the U.S., Shin works in Brooklyn and Hudson Valley, New York. Her work has been widely exhibited and collected in over 150 major museums and cultural institutions, including solo exhibitions at The Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D.C., and the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, where in 2020 she was the first Korean American woman artist featured in a solo exhibition. Shin has received numerous awards, including the Frederic Church Award for her contributions to American art and culture. Her work has been featured in The New York Times and Sculpture Magazine, among others.