From time immemorial, the palm tree has symbolized justice, peace, fertility and beauty in a wide variety of cultures. From a Western perspective, especially in the 19th century, it was seen as a utopian projection of exoticism, wanderlust and the dawn of a new world. In the current mass media image culture, palm trees have advanced to become the ultimate symbol of a modern paradise. In the face of centuries of colonial exploitation and global ecological and economic crises, however, the iconography of this plant no longer has exclusively positive connotations.

In the multi-media dance performance "I Would've Been a Palm Tree", reflections on society, technology and ecology manifest themselves in changing times. In a scenery that evokes collective images, myths and events, we follow the movements of the performer, who herself becomes a palm tree and thus a projection figure for individual longings.