The bald cypress is a rather extraordinary tree, as it can thrive both on land and directly in fresh or saltwater, growing over forty meters high and living for a thousand years.
Three smaller and younger specimens of this remarkable plant are currently standing on a pontoon floating in the water, north of the exhibition halls of the Arsenale used by the Venice Biennale in the lagoon city of Venice. “Arena for a Tree” is the name of the project presented by Klaus Littmann with the support of the Kulturstiftung Basel H. Geiger in a city plagued equally by flooding and water shortages. In 2021 and 2022, individual trees in the distinctive circular grandstand structure invited contemplation and reflection on our climate problems in the cities of Basel and Zurich. Littmann had already brought the theme of trees and climate to many (tree) tops in 2019 when he brought to life a drawing by the Austrian artist Max Peintner from 1970/71.
For the project “For Forest – The Unending Attraction of Nature,” around 300 trees were planted in the Wörthersee Stadium in Klagenfurt, which could be viewed from the spectator stands from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. – nothing else. The installation was accessible for 50 days and was visited by more than 200,000 people during that time.
Littmann replaces the sheer sensation of the football stadium filled with trees by focusing on a single tree in the center of a wooden arena for 50 people. This further emphasizes the underlying theme of environmental and climate protection. The gentle rocking of the pontoon on the waves of the lagoon adds a certain irrationality to the third and for now, final station of the Arena. The supposed stability of the tree is countered by the elements of wind and water, underscoring the fragility of our climate system. Visitors to the opening already got a sense of this when a rapidly approaching thunderstorm forced everyone to retreat to the halls of the nearby Arsenale Nord.
The Arena will remain moored in Venice until July 30, after which the bald cypresses will be able to take root outside the pontoon and perhaps, even in a thousand years, recall their presentation in Venice.
Werner Remm, 24.06.24
more about ARENA FOR A TREE, Basel 2021 / Zurich 2022 / Venice 2024