Through the Trees

Concept_ Kunst am Bau competition for Heinrich-Hertz School, Berlin 2024

The space we call “natural” is being pushed back day by day by the ever-growing humanity. In the modern Western sense, humans and nature are seen as two separate entities that only come together when it comes to resources. But we and future generations must not forget that we all belong to nature—just like the plants, animals, and all living beings that share this planet with us.

Nature offers many living beings a place where they can live and learn from and with each other. An example of this is the oak tree. This friendly giant serves as a source of food and habitat for many animal and plant species. Mosses and lichens settle in the cracks of its bark. Even small neighbors such as insects, spiders, and birds find a home here.

With the sculpture proposed for the Heinrich-Hertz Gymnasium, this native tree is celebrated. Four columns—representing four trees—are intended to serve as small biotopes. These columns invite living beings to become part of the artwork by visiting and inhabiting it.

Columns are among the first structural elements built by humans. They also remain as relics of ancient cultures, transcending time and space. The artwork consists of four colorful columns that welcome students at the entrance. In various parts of the columns, there are openings that provide space for birds, plants, and other living beings. The walkable sculpture is meant to awaken curiosity and thirst for knowledge when viewed, in order to understand life on Earth in a larger context. Symbolic of this is the visual permeability of the metal mesh, which makes it possible to see through the work. In this way, the boundary between the school building and the sculpture dissolves.