8 September 2019 marks the opening of FOR
FOREST – The Unending Attraction of Nature, Austria’s largest
public art installation to date, conceived by Klaus Littmann.
Bringing together art, nature and architecture in an
unprecedented way, this monumental art intervention sees the
transformation of Wörthersee football Stadium in Klagenfurt
into a native central European forest, with almost 300 trees,
some weighing up to six tons each, carefully transplanted over
the existing pitch. FOR FOREST is on view until 27 October
2019. Inspired by The Unending Attraction of Nature, a
dystopian drawing by Austrian artist and architect Max Peintner
(b. 1937) that Littmann discovered almost thirty years ago,
FOR FOREST finally brings that vision to life. Rallying in
support of today’s most pressing issues on climate change and
deforestation, FOR FOREST aims to challenge our perception of
nature and question its future. It seeks to become a memorial,
reminding us that nature, which we so often take for granted,
may someday only be found in specially designated spaces, as is
already the case with animals in zoos.
Overseen by Enea Landscape Architecture, the forest is composed
of a diverse range of species such as silver birch, alder, aspen,
white willow, hornbeam, field maple and common oak. Once
transplanted the forest will take on a life of its own, changing
colours as the season turns and attract wildlife. Seating up to
30,000 spectators, the surroundings of Wörthersee Stadium will
dramatically shape the visitor experience. From 10am until 10pm
daily, audiences will experience a unique panorama of trees, day
and night, under natural light or by floodlight. Encountering
FOR FOREST will trigger a multiplicity of responses and emotions,
and depending on the time of day or night the trees will form an
everchanging landscape. This captivating panorama will pave the
way for a whole new perspective and understanding of forests.
After the free art intervention at the stadium ends on 27
October 2019, the forest will be carefully replanted on a public
site in close proximity to Wörthersee Stadium at a scale of 1:1
and remain as a living ‘forest sculpture’. Parallel to this, a
pavilion is planned in order to document the project for the
long-term.
FOR FOREST is the trigger for a vibrant programme of related
satellite events and exhibitions across the city of Klagenfurt.
One of the highlights is the joint exhibition Touch Wood at the
Museum of Modern Art in Carinthia (MMKK) and at the
Stadtgalerie. The Wulfenia Cinema and CineCity have organised a
specially curated film programme which explores the themes of
nature and the environment, and includes screenings of Werner
Herzog's Fitzcarraldo, Werner Boote’s Plastic Planet and Jan
Haft’s The Green Planet. Further art projects are planned for
public urban spaces, including exhibitions by the Lendhauer
Association and performances by Vada, the smallest theatre in
the world. Wörthersee football Stadium will also become the
backdrop for performances and rehearsals by worldrenowned Vienna
Burgtheater.
The journey to realising FOR FOREST traces a line back to
exhibitions Littmann curated and produced such as Fussball in
der Vitrine with Jehle (Basel, 1982); Kultort Stadion (Basel,
2003); Faces of Football (Vigo & Vitoria, 2008); Move for Life
(Basel, Lyon, Paris, 2006-2011); Real Fiction Cinema (Switzerland,
2010-2012 & China, 2015-2016) and Jardin des Planètes (Basel,
2018). These projects among others reveal Littmann’s
longstanding interest in the relationship of popular culture
with art.
NOTES TO EDITORS
About Klaus Littmann
Born in 1951, Klaus Littmann lives and works in Basel,
Switzerland. Littmann studied at Düsseldorf Art Academy with
Joseph Beuys and established himself as a mediator of
contemporary art. He made his name through unique solo and group
exhibitions positioned in diverse contexts. After many years
working within gallery and museum spaces, he started presenting
theme oriented art exhibitions in the public arena. Underlying
each of his complex and unique projects is a dichotic tension
highlighting the artist’s preoccupation with everyday culture
and the confrontation between contemporary art and urban spaces.
Littmann's ability to discover previously unknown creative
talent as well as collaborating with internationally known
artists is the determinant quality factor in every project
delivered by Littmann Culture Projects.
Over eighty art projects realized by Littmann have been
documented in catalogues and books, including the acclaimed
selective public space projects City Sky, 2008: Daniel Buren,
Renate Buser, Nathan Carter, Subodh Gupta, Peter Kogler, etc;
Engel 2002: Tazro Niscino, Strassenbilder, 2003, Skultur, 2000,
Frontside, 2001, Kulturgüterwagen, 1991, Move for Life (Basel,
Lyon, Paris, 2006-2011) Public Viewing (Shanghai, 2007): Robert
Rauschenberg, Daniele Buetti, Ben Vautier et al. A selection of
internationally renowned artists Littmann has worked with
include: Christo & Jeanne-Claude, Tony Cragg, Guillaume Bijl,
César, Jean Tinguely, Dieter Roth, Leon Golub, Keith Haring,
Michel Blazy, Job Koelewijn, Daniel Buren, Subodh Gupta, Daniel
Spoerri, Niki de Saint Phalle, Peter Kogler, Katharina
Sieverding, among many others. Past projects in public spaces
include Jardin des Planètes (Basel, 2018); Real Fiction Cinema (Switzerland,
2010-2012); Real Fiction Cinema (Shanghai, 2015); Real Fiction
Cinema (Dongguan, China, 2016); Move for Life (Paris, 2011);
Move for Life (Biennale de Lyon, 2011); Public Viewing
(Shanghai, 2007); Senteurs et couleurs du Maroc (Marrakech,
Foundation Dar Bellarj, 2000) and Un mois de lecture des Bâlois
with César (Basel, 1996). Past exhibitions and installations
include: Paris Sans Fin (Cecina, Italy, 2018); Faces of Football
(Vigo & La Coruña, Spain, 2008); Kultort Stadion (Basel, 2003 &
Barcelona, 2008); Christo & Jeanne-Claude (Madrid, 2006); Keith
Haring Editions on Paper (Madrid, Vitoria & Valencia, Spain,
2005-2006); Neuer Supermarkt with Guillaume Bijl (Basel, 1998);
China Now (1996) and Keith Haring Editions on Paper (Hiroshima,
Osaka, Nagoya, Tokyo, Fukuoka, Japan, 1994); Fussball in der
Vitrine (Switzerland, 1982 & Vienna, 1993) and Drogen – Welt in
Trance (Switzerland, 1991 & Austria, 1993); Unnatural Bodies,
Jim Whiting installation (Basel, Zürich, Köln, 1988 & Berlin,
1989); and Das Auto in der Vitrine (Basel, 2005-2006, Frankfurt,
1983 & Thun, 1985). In 2002, Klaus Littmann was awarded the
Cultural Award of the City of Basel.
www.klauslittmann.com
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Max Peintner,
"The unbroken attraction of
nature", pencil drawing
1970/71, handcolored by
Klaus Littmann in 2018,
unique in series |
About Max Peintner
Max Peintner was born in 1937 in Hall in Tirol (Austria) and
lives and works in Vienna. Peintner studied civil engineering at
the Technical University of Vienna and architecture at the
Academy of Fine Arts Vienna. In 1964, with Heinz Geretsegger, he
published the monograph Otto Wagner 1841–1918, Unbegrenzte
Großstadt, Beginn der modernen Architektur (Otto Wagner
1841-1918, The Expanding City, The Beginning of Modern
Architecture) in the Residenz Verlag and in 1969, published his
first drawings under the title Sechs Beiträge zur Zukunft:
Technik- und Zivilisationskritik unter den Deckmantel der
Utopie. His works have been shown in solo and group exhibitions
at museums internationally including, among others, the
Kunsthalle Wien in Vienna (2006 and 1997), the Museum van
Hedendaagse Kunst in Antwerp (1998), the Ludwig Kortárs
Múvészeti Múzeum in Budapest (1996/1997), the Museion in Bolzano
(1989), the Rupertinum in Salzburg (1985/1986), the Galleria
D’Arte Moderna in Bologna (1984), and the Staatsgalerie
Stuttgart (1982).
In 2000 the Neue Galerie Graz dedicated a retrospective to him
entitled Max Peintner: Take off Perception in the Technological
Era. He has additionally appeared in major international
exhibitions including documenta 6 (1977) and he was chosen to be
Austria’s representative at the Biennale di Venezia in 1986. A
drawing by Peintner from 1974 is in the collection of the Museum
of Modern Art in New York and he has been featured in several
exhibitions at the museum including 9 + 1 Ways of Being
Political: 50 Years of Political Stances in Architecture and
Urban Design (2012-2013) and The Changing of the Avant-Garde:
Visionary Architectural Drawings from the Howard Gilman
Collection (2002-2003).
About Enzo Enea
Enzo Enea is a trained industrial designer. He studied
landscape architecture in London and founded Enea Landscape
Architecture in 1993. The company, with its more than 200
employees, is headquartered in Rapperswil-Jona and has further
branches in Miami and New York. Enea Landscape Architecture
works with numerous leading architectural firms such as Zaha
Hadid, David Chipperfield, Christoph Ingenhoven, Rem Koolhaas
and Tadao Andō. The Swiss office for landscape architecture
designs and implements projects worldwide for private builders,
real estate developers, companies and international clients in
the public domain. The portfolio includes private gardens and
terraces, parks and gardens for hotels and restaurants, as well
as holiday resorts and outdoor facilities of corporate offices.
The company develops complex solutions for the design of green
and open spaces in major cities worldwide, such as Beijing, Sao
Paulo and Miami. Its design concept incorporates the fusion of
outdoor and indoor space. Enea has been the recipient of many
international awards. Among them: the Florida chapter of the
American Society of Landscape Architects honoring him and his
company for their work, and the Chelsea Flower Show in London
presenting Enea the Newcome Award. He has also won numerous
awards at Giardina, one of Europe's largest indoor ‘live your
garden’ fair. He feels especially honored to be the recipient of
the Platininum and the Diamond award of the Gemany's Society for
Sustainable Building (DGNB), a recognition that had previously
never been awarded in the history of the association. In 2010
Enzo Enea opened the world's first Tree Museum in
Rapperswill-Jona. In the park that he personally designed and
planned, the entrepreneur and creative director demonstrates how
landscape, architecture, art and design can be skillfully
integrated.
www.enea.ch
About Wörthersee Stadium
Wörthersee Stadium is Austria’s most modern stadium, and was
officially opened in Klagenfurt in September 2007. The home of
the SK Austria Klagenfurt club, the stadium has a capacity of
30,000. In 2008 it played a role in the European Football
Championship, and has since hosted other important matches
including the 2018 International Champions Cup match between FC
Bayern Munich and Paris SaintGermain. In addition to football
matches, the multifunctional arena has been host to special
events including an outdoor ice hockey derby, several major
concerts, as well as the United World Games and the “Herzschlag
2014” Special Olympics.
The stadium, which complies with all UEFA and FIFA guidelines,
is a compact structure which sits comfortably within its
surrounding landscape. The architecture of the structure is
particularly striking thanks to the dynamic elevation of the
roof above the east stand. Further striking features include the
close proximity of the tribunes to the football field to create
a unique live experience, in addition to the slightly increasing
West ramp going towards the stadium, and several stairways that
allow access to the stadium on the cornerstones of the platform.
Visiting | FOR FOREST Wörthersee Stadium Südring 207 9020
Klagenfurt Austria Open daily 10am – 10pm including public
holidays.
Access Free admission
Practical information: forforest.net | Instagram: @forforestklagenfurt
| Twitter: @forforest_art | #FORFOREST
Publication and film: A documentary about FOR FOREST by
Robert Schabus is due to be released at the end of 2019. There
will also be a special publication which is due to be published
in 2020.
Related programming: A satellite programme of art and
film events coinciding with FOR FOREST is due to take place
around Klagenfurt and the full programme is available on the
website here. Listings information: FOR FOREST 8 September – 27
October 2019 Wörthersee Stadium Südring 207 9020 Klagenfurt
Austria Open 10am – 10pm | Daily (including public holidays) |
Free Entry forforest.net
Funding: FOR FOREST is made possible thanks to Swiss
private supporters, contributions in kind, as well as tree
sponsorship. The Austrian entrepreneur Herbert Waldner, founder
of the Riedergarten real estate group (Riedergarten Immobilien
Gruppe), is
one of the main supporters of FOR FOREST. He supports the art
intervention in many ways: Herbert Waldner is a 50 percent
shareholder of the “LW For forest GmbH”, he provides the “Villa
am Ring” free of charge (as a place to organise and present the
project, and an event space) and participates in planning and
realising the project by sharing his business expertise.