Denkmal / Monument

German-French artist Gloria Friedmann’s work often deals with modern man’s relationship to nature and his surroundings. With her sculpture at Moltkeplatz, she makes use of the cultural practice of creating monuments to past events or deceased persons that are generally considered memorable. Here, however, this basic concept of a monument is transferred to a dead tree. The artist embedded the tree in a tall red rectangular concrete wall, tracing its silhouette and preserving it in place.
In a way, the idea behind creating a monument to a tree is straightforward: it is a deceased life form with great importance to humanity. At the same time, such a monument seems absurd, since there are numerous bigger and more beautiful examples of the same species in the immediate surroundings. This contradictory nature is precisely how the artwork sensitizes us to how we interact with our surroundings: we can dedicate a monument to a single tree, elevate it artistically and emotionally, intellectually understand its endangerment, and yet we are still not ready to fundamentally change our relationship to nature.
This sculpture is part of the ensemble of works that have been exhibited at Moltkeplatz since 1981 on the initiative of gallery owner Jochen Krüper in Essen and Uwe Rüth, former director of the Skulpturenmuseum Glaskasten and the art collection in Marl. Local residents supported the project and the association Kunst am Moltkeplatz (KaM) dedicated itself to the maintenance and upkeep of the sculptures. Since 2010, the public art space and neighborhood initiative have been supplemented by the project Junge Kunst am Moltkeplatz, which promotes different approaches to young art.

Reference: www.kunst-am-moltkeplatz.de