Artist Jean Shin unveiled a new site-specific earthwork titled "Offering" (2026) at Brooklyn's Green-Wood Cemetery on April 18. The installation, situated in a meadow facing the cemetery's gates, consists of a long, oval-shaped mound of soil covering two felled oak trees. The work was inspired by traditional Korean tumulus burial mounds and involved a community ritual led by a Korean shaman, with volunteers planting wildflowers and shrubs on the mound.
The project examines how ritual and reflection mark the cycles of time and presents a permaculture methodology for honoring deceased natural elements. As the buried trees decompose, they will enrich the soil and support the plants above, creating a living memorial that challenges conventional views of death and utility. The installation coincides with the reopening of the historic Weir Greenhouse at the cemetery, emphasizing themes of rebirth and regeneration.