Thanks to the donation from KBH.G, the Arena has found its final location in the Enea Tree Museum. This ensures that the “Arena for a Tree” remains accessible to the public, providing space for the presentation of additional future trees as well as various events and activities.
Especially in autumn, when the trees glow in magnificent colors, a visit to the museum is highly recommended. The Japanese Zelkova has been chosen as the tree of the future for the Arena at the Enea Tree Museum. This highly climate-resistant, deciduous tree creates a pleasant microclimate with its large canopy and can provide ample shade. Zelkova trees are considered very robust street trees in major cities like Tokyo and New York.
The “Arena for a Tree” originated from the temporary art intervention “FOR FOREST – The Unending Attraction of Nature” by Klaus Littmann, where a total of 299 trees up to 14 meters high were planted on the soccer field of the Wörthersee Stadium in Klagenfurt in 2019. The “Arena for a Tree” was first presented as an outdoor project as part of the “Tree Connections” exhibition at the Kulturstiftung Basel H. Geiger on Münsterplatz in Basel in 2021, and in spring 2022 in the courtyard of the Swiss National Museum during the exhibition “In the Forest. A Cultural History” in Zurich. Venice was its third and final destination at this year’s Art Biennale, marking the first inclusion of water as another important environmental element. A suitable tree was selected for the Arena at all three locations, taking into account the respective climate. The construction of the Arena was developed by Schnetzer Puskas Ingenieure based on designs by Klaus Littmann. This project, which unites art and nature, was made possible by the Kulturstiftung Basel H. Geiger. I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to everyone involved who has supported and accompanied the “Arena for a Tree.”
ARENA FOR A TREE
An art intervention by Klaus Littmann
Enea Tree Museum, CH-Rapperswil-Jona
Photos: Enea Landscape Architecture, Federico Vespignani
more about ARENA FOR A TREE, Basel 2021 / Zurich 2022 / Venice 2024
