A cultural history of nature may sound like a paradox, but a second glance proves it to be a clever theme. For though we are used to perceiving nature and culture as opposites, they are actually closely interwoven. This is precisely what Klaus Littman shows us in his startling project Tree Connections. In 2019, around three hundred trees were planted in the pitch at the Wörthersee football stadium in Klagenfurt. The result is the extraordinary experience of witnessing a confrontation between two otherwise strictly separate kinds of spaces. Blending the natural and the constructed worlds blurs their boundaries, making them practically indistinguishable. At the same time, the breathtaking views of this unique project offer fascinating insights into our current, unecological ideas and activities. An exhibition curated by Littmann will take place at the Basel H. Geiger Kulturstiftung starting in May 2021, featuring works by Alexandre Calame, Joseph Beuys, Christo, Jannis Kounellis, Giuseppe Penone, Günther Uecker, Tony Cragg, Michael Sailstorfer, Miriam Cahn, and Sol LeWitt, among others.
KLAUS LITTMANN (*1951) studied at the Düsseldorf Kunstakademie in the 1970s. His encounters with Joseph Beuys there influenced his creativity. He enjoys international renown as an artist, a mediator of art, and curator. Littmann is based in Basel.