Garden of natural delight 2013

The project serves several objectives: working with the aesthetic consequences of actions in an emotionally challenging set-up; connecting the local and site-specific with wider discussions about the  impact of the Anthropocene aspects in an international perspective, and presenting an extended concept of sculpture within the context of the Sculpture by the Sea festival.

In early April, a towering 30-metre beech tree in the Marselisborg Forest was totally wrapped in red canvas by means of string, tape and strips, meaning that on 1 June the tree appears absurd, alienating and meaningless within its context. The spring leafing seems to have passed this tall tree by, making it vividly red against the luminously young green leaves of the other beeches around it. Over the course of the next six weeks, a few leaves can be glimpsed among all the red canvas-clad branches. The beech tree has managed to put forth leaf in spite of being so thoroughly wrapped. The project was Bjorn Godwin’s (Australia) and my contribution to the Sculpture by the Sea event and served several objectives: working with the aesthetic consequences of actions in an emotionally challenging set-up; connecting the local and site-specific with wider discussions about the Anthropocene in an international perspective, and presenting an extended concept of sculpture that, within its specific context, contributed to greater general understand of the phenomenon of sculpture. The work constitutes a continuation of the project Oak Tree/Egetræ, 2012.

Partners: Bjorn Godwin, Gitte Gejl Thaysen, Iben Hofstede, Jamilla Søgaard.

Medium: 30 metre beech tree, 120 metres red canvas, 200 metres string, 458 strips, 31 rolls of tape.