1993 – Stan Bonnar

This was the time of the war in Bosnia.

Somewhere in Europe thirty black upright pianos are buried in pits filled with white pebbles.

PINUS BOSNIA is the botanical name for the Bosnian Pine, a very beautiful tree. In November 1993 I asked national newspapers in many countries to print the following text…

A forest has been planted. It contains 40 million trees. The forest stretches from Norway to Sicily and from Ireland to Turkey. It was planted today in the texts of 130 European daily newspapers. Like this:

PINUS BOSNIA

One copy of each newspaper will be used to build a table to be exhibited in the Obala Gallery, Sarajevo.

In the event, out of the 129 European Newspapers that were contacted, 3 responded…

“Pinus Bosnia” is the species name of a beautiful pine tree that is today to be mentioned in 129 European daily newspapers, from Ireland in the west to Turkey in the east. The idea comes from a Scottish artist named Stan Bonnar – who in this way wants to create his own European forest – for a day. Copies of the newspapers participating in this highly unusual form of afforestation will be used to build a table. The table will eventually be shown at a Christmas exhibition for artists in Edinburgh and only at an exhibition in Sarajevo.

Large table of newspapers for Bosnia

EDINBURGH – 129 European newspapers from Norway to Turkey were bombarded from the Scottish capital with the mysterious request to print the words ‘Pinus Bosnia’ somewhere in the newspaper today. In the Netherlands, the Nieuwsblad van het Noorden was the chosen newspaper. “Pinus Bosnia means Bosnian pine tree” says initiator Stan Bonnar. “With that name printed in millions of copies, we will have built an imaginary European forest in one day. From the newspapers I wil then build a large table, which is to be given a place of honor at the Christmas exhibition of the Society of Scottish Artists and maybe later in Serajevo. We want to draw attention to the war in Bosnia through art & information technology. So far you are the second newspaper to respond”

PINUS BOSNIA

We received a letter from The Demarco European Foundation inviting us to take part in an unusual project. Artists are asking 129 European newspapers to print the words that make up this racial name. After that, in Edinburgh (Scotland) the pupils of St. Mary’s school have a picture – PINUS BOSNIA. It will be not only a graphic but also a work of time, as all 129 clocks will print those words at once. “LIETUVOS AIDAS” supports this project and sends one of these tree leaflets.

We believe that in such an unusual way, children and their teachers want to draw European and global attention to the Bosnian tragedy. Lithuanians understand this tragedy. We still remember how, in the post-war period, partisans (like the Bosnians now), alone in a struggle against a vicious enemy, turned into trees. For example, Sermuksnis (rowan) (Jonas Kazlauskas) in 1946 on March 7, when traitors showed the bunkers, they were detonated with grenades and long-range cartridges along with other partisans. There is neither a tomb nor a monument. Just a tree – Sermuksnis. Pinus Lituania was also in peril (more are now extinct) so we cannot be indifferent to the Bosnian tragedy.

So far we are still writing PINUS BOSNIA. If people are indifferent, we will find PINUS BOSNIA. Thank God that in Scotland there are still people who are not indifferent.