Exhibition at the Landesmuseum Zurich “In the Forest. A Cultural History” The curators of the exhibition are Regula Moser and Pascale Meyer

The forests – used by people for centuries – have faced increasing destruction since the 19th century on account of industrialisation. Figures such as Paul Sarasin and later on Bruno Manser came forward and campaigned for the protection of the forests. The exhibition shows our relationship with the forest through representation in literature and art: once exaggerated by the romantics as a safe haven from civilisation, artists’ depictions of the forest are today dominated by the subject of climate change. With works by Guido Baselgia, Denise Bertschi, Julian Charrière, Franz Gertsch, Klaus Littmann, Ugo Rondinone, Shirana Shahbazi, Thomas Struth and photographs by James Barclay, Julien Coquentin, Erik Pauser, Mutang Urud, Alberto Venzago.

Free admission on International Museum Day.

Walk-in art intervention “Arena for a Tree” in the courtyard of the National Museum

Since antiquity, the arena has drawn all eyes equally towards the action in its centre. In “Arena for a Tree”, the rows of seats rise upwards following the horizontal alignment of the bowl’s structure. Its slats provide protection without locking in everything and a shield without keeping out the wind completely. Here the protagonist’s stage is set in the heart of the city. Especially in densely built-up areas, the tree has become a protégé. As deadwood it provides food and a nesting place. With the death of the large trunk, a natural cycle takes its course, albeit on a smaller scale. “Arena for a Tree” is an art intervention by Klaus Littmann. In the original installation in the Wörthersee Stadium of Klagenfurt in 2019, Littmann drew public attention by planting an entire forest. As an offspring of this major event, Arena for a Tree has become a travelling work of art. Depending on destination, climate and season, the monument of life features a different tree in its midst each time.

ARENA FOR A TREE | walk-in art intervention | Landesmuseum Zurich, Museumstrasse 2, Zurich | MO-WE 10:00 – 17:00, THU 10:00 – 19:00, FR-SU 10:00 – 17:00 | admission free

With kind support of the Kulturstiftung Basel H. Geiger

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more about ARENA FOR A TREE, Basel 2021 / Zurich 2022