Was war zuerst? (Hommage an Brancusi) / What Came First? (Homage to Brancusi)

From a distance, this work is initially perceived as a glaring reflection with an indistinct form. However, as hikers approach, they soon recognize an oversized golden egg in a small clearing near the edge of the forest. On closer inspection, it becomes clear that this initially surreal and fairy-tale-esque situation is actually a multi-layered sculptural intervention by artist Magdalena Jetelová.

This massive golden egg sets its surroundings into a completely new context. The sprawling landscape is suddenly and purposefully orientated towards the work of art – the landscape becomes the art space. It would be difficult for any hiker to resist its draw after noticing the glaring light from a distance. The egg as a symbol of life, its origin, and its cyclical nature also relate to the surrounding nature in terms of content. The question raised in the title also can’t be answered here – in this context of light, nature, space, and artwork.

The title makes reference to Constantin Brancusi’s 1920s sculpture The Beginning of the World , which is also a shiny egg on its side. Here, however, it is transformed into a monumental object and, when brought into the context of nature, takes on increasing significance.

Reference: www.waldskulpturenweg.de/skulpturen/was-war-zuerst/die-skulptur
Further reading: WaldSkulpturenWeg, ed. by the Arbeitsgemeinschaft WaldSkulpturenWeg, texts by Uwe Rüth, Cologne 2011.